Learning to Fall
by reaa1210
Summary: Rachel Berry wasn't planning on finding love that summer, but then again, she wasn't planning on finding Finn Hudson either. Sometimes the best love happens when you least expect it. Very AU.
1. Fate

**A/N: I'm backkkkkkkk! haha actually I never really left, but you know... **

**So, here's my latest endeavor. For those of you who read the A/N in chapter 3 of "Silent Promises", you know this is gonna be a pretty long story. It's extremely AU, and just a warning: it's gonna be starting out a tad bit slow. This chapter's more of a prologue, but hopefully it will spark some interest in the story. I can't guarantee updates will come that quickly - unfortunately, my boring life beckons. But I'm trying to always be a chapter ahead, just to make sure I don't leave this hanging for too long. It's rated M for later chapters and probably some language. I'm gonna try out a bit of a riskier style in this one, so any requests/advice are most DEFINITELY welcome! **

**Alrighty, I guess this is it. Hope you enjoy, and remember! This is kind of an introductory chapter, so bear with it please :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its affiliates. Unfortunately, I only own my hopelessly romantic dreams. *sigh***

* * *

"**Love unlocks doors and opens windows that weren't even there before." - Mignon McLaughlin, **_**The Second Neurotic's Notebook**_

"Daddy, I already told you I'm not going!"

Rachel Berry had been called a lot of things in her lifetime – cocky, self-centered, annoying, high maintenance; once she had even been given the title of "an insufferable diva prone to infantile outbursts, with an impossible flare for the dramatics". (Despite the harsh critique, Rachel was more than a little impressed with the obvious effort to use such advanced vocabulary.) She has never though – and with her help, never _will_ – be considered a pushover.

And Rachel Barbara Berry was sure as _hell _not spending her summer cooped up in some smelly little barn in the middle of Lima freaking Ohio.

"Rachel, for the last time, you _are _going. And that's final!"

Rachel scowled, throwing her hands up for effect. Her father looked unconvinced. "How do you expect my Broadway career to flourish if you're dropping me in the middle of a cornfield all summer?"

"Rachel, Lima is not–"

"_No_, Daddy!" she yelled, not caring one bit if their neighbors complained yet again. "This is totally unfair!"

She heard her other father chuckle from the table, sneaking a glance over the edge of his newspaper, and it was not helping her blazing temper. She turned on him, glaring daggers.

"Dad, I don't know what you find laughable in this situation, but I do not appreciate the lack of concern for your daughter's well being! There is no way–"

"Rachel," her dad, Leroy, interrupted, not even attempting to hide his chuckle. "You're overreacting. We used to visit Lima every year for winter break and you never minded then."

"That's because we stopped going when I was ten! _And _I didn't have my budding career to focus on! I'm _seventeen – _I'm practically ancient for this business!"

She could see her father set his paper down and remove his reading glasses, a sure sign that he was attempting to form a compromise. Well, Rachel would have none of it.

"Rachel, honey, please," Leroy begged, rubbing his suddenly pounding temples. "You've lived in New York your whole life, and all you've ever wanted was to be a star. You _will _be, but we would like you to experience what it is to have a normal life, too." Leroy continued just as Rachel opened her mouth to protest. "We know you love it here, with all your friends and your goals, but can't you just take a break from all that before you start your 'career'? You have your whole life for this. We don't want you to have any regrets."

_Darn it, _Rachel sighed. He had a point. Leave it to her Dad to give her a heartfelt speech and weaken her resolve. Still, Rachel Berry was nothing if not persistent.

"I can be a normal teenager _here, _Dad," she argued, her voice octaves lower than before. "This is one of the most crucial years of my life, and I don't want to spend it milking cows on Aunt Ruth's dairy farm! Please," she begged. She was pleading now, and when she looked back toward Hiram, searching his heartbroken and torn frown, she realized she'd been bargaining with the wrong father. "Daddy," she whined, fully equipped with her pouting bottom lip and glistening doe eyes. "Please…"

Hiram looked between his partner and his daughter, a droplet of sweat running right down between the glasses perched on his nose, and cleared his throat uneasily. "Rachel, can you go to your room, please? Your father and I need to have a talk."

_Hah. _Smiling sweetly, Rachel glided over to her Daddy, placing a big, sloppy kiss upon his cheek before skipping away toward her room. She knew she'd won now, so she placed her ear against the door to hear the results.

Leroy was now sporting his daughter's scowl, glaring venomously at Hiram.

Hiram gulped. "Maybe…maybe she's right?" His nervousness was making his statement a question. "We only have one more year with our little angel before she goes off and leaves us behind. Maybe we should let her stay."

Rachel grinned, already whipping out her phone to tell her friends of her new summer plans. She always knew she loved her Daddy.

"No," Leroy roared, hoisting himself from his seat. "We've given her everything she's ever wanted, done everything we ever could to make her dreams a reality. And now we're asking this one thing of her. She needs to live a normal life for once. I want her to meet average kids her age, not all of these theatre fanatics with their futures already mapped out." Leroy's mind was set, and he was very much like Rachel when he put his mind to something. He was begging with his eyes, willing his partner to know that this was what she needed. "Don't you want her to know what that's like? Don't you want her to experience her first love, her first heartache? Don't you want her to entertain some other dream than just this longing to become a star? I do, and I think it's what's best."

_Damn it, damn it all. _Rachel couldn't believe it. Why did her father have to be a damn lawyer, with his ridiculously firm speeches and his stupid ability to control _everything _her Daddy did? She knew now – she was doomed. She could already hear the vague "_yes, dear_'s" and "_of course, honey_'s" slipping from her Daddy's deceiving lips.

_Trader, _she thought miserably.

Looking down at her phone, she groaned seeing an awaiting message – her best friend asking the outcome of her planned performance. Growling menacingly, her fingers ruthlessly typed out her sickening reality for the next two and a half months.

_Sarah, it's a no go. I'm officially headed to Farmville, USA."_

_

* * *

_

"Great job, guys!" Finn yelled excitedly. "Next week's our first game, so I want everyone outside practicing over the weekend!"

"Mr. Hudson," one particularly polite little boy asked. "Can we run the bases one more time?"

Finn smiled at the sudden cheers from his little ballplayers and put his hands up in forfeit. "Okay, okay. You better hurry though, you don't want your old coach to beat you…" he exclaimed, setting off toward first base while the rest of his team charged after him.

Finn Hudson was a small town boy at heart – simple, easy to please, and oblivious to most everything else outside of the little tiny bubble deemed "Lima, Ohio". He really didn't mind his hometown; in fact, he couldn't imagine growing up anywhere else. Everyone in this town knew _everyone, _and consequently, everyone knew Finn. He been called "nice" and "sweet" and "good-looking" by the nice old ladies at the store; "mysterious" and "charming" by those ever-annoying Cheerios flocking toward him; oh, and his favorite, a "big, brainless giant" by his pleasant best friend Noah Puckerman. But Finn didn't really care. He liked his life, and he wouldn't let some harmless little names change that. Besides, everyone dealt with criticism, right?

Maybe it was because he was an only child, or perhaps it was due to his ardent love of sports, but Finn just loved these kids. Something about their innocence and their enthusiasm ignited this fire inside of him that he'd been missing. It gave some meaning to his life, and it made him feel like he was _needed. _No one ever depended on him, or needed him for _anything_, but these kids…he was these kids' hero. And it couldn't make him any more proud.

"Okay!" he yelled, chuckling as he hit the ground and felt two dozen bony arms and knees digging into stomach. "Okay, you win, you win! Get out of here, you little rascals," he laughed, hearing the excited yells of the children as they ran to their parents in the stands.

"I'm not getting up 'til you get me that ice cream cone I won from our bet this morning."

Peeking one eye open, Finn met the firm fixed glare of his team's only female player – his little cousin, Katie. Her big blue eyes glinted with mischief and her freckled cheeks smiled back at him cunningly. Her wide smile held such wit that he was sure no seven-year old could ever possess. Finn knew it was sad when a little girl was smarter than him, but he'd been called "pathetic" all his life, so it really didn't bother him all that much.

In one swift motion, Finn lifted Katie off his stomach and plopped her on the ground, batting her miniature punches away when she tried to pin him back down. "Hey, watch it, runt," he warned, ruffling the mess of dirty blonde hair atop her head. She whacked his hand away furiously. "At this rate you might just get yourself benched for harassing your coach!"

Katie scowled and ran after Finn toward the dugout, watching as he gathered the gear in his duffle bag. "Yeah, right," she snorted. "I'm your best player, not to mention your only third baseman. You really think Sammy can get the ball halfway to first base? I don't _think_ so," she finished, settling her hands on her hips in protest.

"Yeah, whatever," he smiled, hoisting up three bags over his shoulder and heading toward the main road, Katie in tow.

If he was being honest, Finn would consider Katie his best friend. Puck would chop off his dick if he ever heard him utter the words – and since he rather enjoyed that part of his anatomy, and wasn't keen on the idea of parting with it – he kept this truth to himself.

But it was most definitely a truth.

Despite being incredibly nosy and somewhat of a pest at times, Katie was the most sincere person he knew. At times it appeared she was more mature than Finn, and her vocabulary showed him up on multiple occasions. But she was honest, a good listener, and most importantly, she considered Finn to be her hero. And that meant more to him than anything.

If only she wasn't so damn smart… How she got to be so sensible and wise he would never know; it definitely wasn't from hanging out with him so much. She was constantly schooling him on his grades and his love life – or, lack thereof – and she never resisted the urge to make him into a fool in front of a girl. For payback though, Finn could always just invite Puck over and watch her cringe when he told her it was past her bedtime – in her words, Puck was "such a babe".

"Wow, you need any help with that?" Finn asked, sarcasm thick in his voice. He briefly motioned toward the single baseball tee she was dragging along the ground, while he had three heavy bags hoisted over his back.

"No, I'm okay," she answered distractedly, not at all sensing his joke.

Finn noticed her lack of attention and nudged her side with his hip. "What's up, munchkin?"

Just as Katie was about to open her mouth to speak though, Finn heard a car slowing down behind them, quickly followed by a high-pitched squeal calling his name.

Blinking tiredly, he turned around to meet Lima's very own beauty queen, beaming at him as she lowered her car window. "Hi, Quinn," he muttered, avoiding her too-bright grin.

"I didn't hear from you last weekend," she started, her voice sugar sweet.

Finn ignored the nudge from Katie and scratched his ear nervously. "Yeah, I, uh, I had to help Katie with, uh, some homework," he said quickly, hearing Katie suppress a snort behind her hands. He bumped her shoulder with his side and glared.

Quinn frowned slightly, but otherwise appeared unaffected. "Well, that's okay," she amended. "You can always make it up to me."

Finn laughed nervously. Katie coughed next to him suggestively, and he bit his lip to keep his returning comment appropriate. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Like, maybe the town picnic this Saturday?"

"Uh," Finn hesitated. He wished he were better with words; his rejections would come so much easier. Sadly, his brain wouldn't work fast enough, and Katie beat him to the punch.

"He would love to!" Katie announced, patting Finn's arms appraisingly. "Once he remembers how to form some words, he'll call you to set everything up!"

He couldn't believe it; his little cousin just set him up on a _date. _She peeked up at him with big, innocent blue eyes, and he shot her a hard glare, mouthing "_you're dead"_ as she smiled.

"Sounds perfect," Quinn grinned, looking much happier about the prospect of a date than Finn did at the moment. She offered a big wave and then sped off, leaving Finn to openly gape behind. What just happened?

"You're welcome," Katie smirked, picking up pace again.

Finn took two big strides to catch up. "_'You're welcome'_?" he seethed. "Why did you do that? You know I don't want to date Quinn Fabray!"

"Why not?" Katie rebuked, scowling right back. "What's wrong with you anyway? She's pretty, she's popular, she's _head cheerleader_! And she obviously likes you. I don't see what the problem is!"

Frustrated, Finn rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. He didn't like talking about this stuff with her, but when Katie wanted something, _boy _would she get it. "I don't know," he muttered, hoping he could get this out with as few words as possible. "I'm just not interested."

"But _why_?" Katie whined. "You know every boy at school wants to 'tap that'."

Finn stopped mid-stride, gaping dreadfully at this seven-year old like she'd just admitted to having boobs. True, but still – he didn't need to hear it! "Katie!" he gaped. "Where the he– Where did you hear that?"

"What?" she appeared untouched. "You know it's true. Plus, I listen to you and Noah talk about this stuff all the time. You're not the quietest people I know…"

Groaning, Finn made a mental note to _not _discuss anything PG-13 _anywhere _within twenty feet of Katie. Apparently this little twerp was an expert at eavesdropping too. "You still shouldn't repeat it. You're only seven years old." Finn warned, giving his best effort to sound authoritative.

"I'm seven and a _half_!" Katie argued, narrowing her eyes severely. "You still didn't answer my question."

Finn sighed, briefly considering how much she would whine if he bypassed the ice cream shop and just took her home. _Probably a lot, _he thought miserably. "I don't know, Kat. I guess she's just not my type. There aren't many girls in this town worth wasting my time on."

Katie seemed to be processing that information, her tiny face scrunched up in thought. Then finally, a tiny smile made its way to her lips and she looked up at him with big, glistening blue eyes. "Except for me, right Finn?"

Finn grinned. "Yeah, dork, except for you."

The rest of their walk was fairly typical – random conversation and bickering, always ending when Katie flashed her million-dollar grin and Finn caved in to whatever she wanted. Katie always called him a "big softie", and Finn guessed that couldn't be too bad…as long as she didn't say stuff like that in front of his friends.

The two made their way back from the ice cream shop, cones in hand and chocolate smeared all over their faces, occasionally talking about nothing at all. They were just stepping off the curb when the sound of tires screeching sounded right around the corner. Finn looked up to see a dark car come barreling toward them.

"Katie!" he called, reaching for her hand just before the black Benz zoomed past. "Watch out, you almost gave me a heart attack!" he scolded, hating that he sounded like his mother but, damn it, she almost got run over!

When he didn't hear some sarcastic response, he looked down to see Katie's awe-stricken face. She took a slight step forward, toward the quickly disappearing car, and quickly turned back to Finn with a glint in her eyes. "Did you _see _that car?" she marveled, checking once again for the vehicle. "That thing was _gorgeous_!"

Finn chuckled. "Yeah, must be nice, right? It's probably headed up to the Berry's place. Those people got more money than God," he laughed, hoping not to sound too bitter.

It was true – the Berry's were known to be snooty, stuck up jerks. He and Puck took care of Ruth Berry's landscaping about once a week, mainly because she paid them each eight bucks an hour, but from what Finn knew, the Berry's were better left untouched. The only one he liked was old Mr. Berry, but he was hardly around. If he had a pestering, high-maintenance wife like Ruth though, Finn was sure he wouldn't be around much either.

"Can you imagine ridin' in something like that, Finn?" Katie asked, bringing him out of his thoughts. She looked shell-shocked, and Finn had to admit it was kind of funny.

"Yeah," he started, ignoring her question entirely. "Maybe those American Idol people heard you singing in the car last week, and they've come to offer you a record deal. You know, I think that's how the Miley got her start…"

"Shut up!" Katie barked, laughing when she bumped Finn and his ice cream splattered on his shirt. "That's what you get for comparing me to that tone-deaf bimbo…"

Despite the huge chocolate stain now dribbling down his chest, Finn couldn't refrain from laughing like an idiot. When Katie started pounding her little fists into his leg though, he let up and smiled. "Alright, kid, I was just kidding. Geez, PMS much?"

Katie groaned. "Finn, how many times have I told you this? PMS is _not _something all girls are born with!" She huffed, like she'd told him this everyday of her modest existence. "I won't be gettin' it anytime soon, either. I'm seven, for Pete's sake!"

Finn grinned, licking some chocolate from his fingers. "Seven and a half," he smiled.

Katie rolled her eyes. "You're such a loser." But when she smiled back up at him, a happy chuckle bubbled from his lips.

_Maybe so,_ he thought. But he didn't really mind.


	2. Warm Reception

**A/N: First, I'm so so so so so sorry about the wait on this one, and that apology is extended for the poor quality of this chapter haha. As many times as I tried to write this, it just didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. And sadly, it's just a boring filler chapter again. The real stuff starts really soon though, so I'll try to grin and bear it! Things have been so crazy lately that finding time for this was _impossible. _I actually started writing this today in class while my absent-minded professor told another incredibly pointless story. I totally should have been paying attention, but it was really awful haha. **

**Anyway, thanks so much for your reviews for the first chapter! Like I said, the first three or so are pretty boring and uneventful, but that's necessary right? I wanted to address Rachel's attitude too, because I was worried about making her too spoiled and conceited. She kind of _is _those things at first, but that doesn't mean she can't change. Deep down Rachel has those caring qualities we all know and love about her, but just like in Glee, we don't exactly get to see those things until WHO comes along? Finn :) I'm trying to tone her down a bit, but if you guys think she's too out of character, please let me know! **

**Alright, again: I'm really not happy with this chapter, but I needed to get it over with. Leave your thoughts in a review? (I won't be too upset if you don't though haha) I already have the next couple chapter mapped out (thanks to today's boring class!) so hopefully I can get the next one up by Friday or Saturday! If I'm lucky, maybe even the next two :)**

**Disclaimer: Necessary?**

* * *

"**If you judge people, you've no time to love them." – Mother Theresa **

"Hmm, too blue. Too casual. Yuck, too _ugly_… Too… Finn? Why the _heck _do you have a pink sequined dress in here?"

"Katie, what did I tell you about that word?"

"Sorry…"

"Hah!" Finn shouted suddenly. "Take that, zombie dudes!" He smiled delightfully, turning around slightly while the next level began to load. Taking in the image, Finn started to hyperventilate. His room looked like a scene from the Apocalypse.

"What are you _doing_?" he groaned, searching around for a blob of blonde hair among the rubble. Part of him feared that he'd have to dive in there after her. He heard rustles from the corner and immediately felt the hair on his arms stand erect. His nerves were only slightly soothed when he saw Katie's little head pop out from a pile of clothes.

"Pickin' out your outfit for your date," she replied matter-of-factly.

_Of course, _Finn groaned. Voicing that however would surely earn him an incredibly confusing and aggravating earful, and right now, Finn was getting ready to battle some more dead guys, so he really didn't have the time.

Turning back to the television screen, Finn heard an exasperated squeal coming from his closet door, and he swore at that moment that he'd never understand girls. They were the most maddening species he'd ever encounter. "It looks like my closet threw up on you," Finn commented, rolling his eyes when he saw a balled-up T-shirt fling over his head. "Terrible aim, Katie. Really, you better work on your form."

"You're so annoying," she grumbled, prancing in front of the TV and smiling as she flicked the power switch on his game.

"Hey!"

Katie glared. "Finn, you got a half hour 'til your date, and you smell like a sewer."

"Your point?" Honestly, why would _no one _let him just play his games in _peace_?

"You're bein' a boy," Katie grumbled, producing a wicked grin from Finn. She sighed, her palm hitting her forehead in a _smack._

Finn rose his eyebrows, amused. "Well _that's _a good thing."

"Finn!" Katie screeched. Obviously she wasn't finding this as funny as Finn was. Geez, where was her sense of humor today? "Can't you at least take this seriously?"

Tossing his controller away with a sigh, Finn threw his head back and hit the ground with a thump. Why wasn't he taking this seriously? Because he didn't want to go in the first place! The only reason he had even called Quinn to set the whole thing up was because Katie had dialed the number and chucked the phone at him, stomping her little foot and glaring until he'd agreed to a time and place. He reluctantly settled to meet Quinn at the picnic with a few other friends – mainly because he didn't think he could deal with awkward silences and uncomfortable looks all night by himself. With Puck there, at least he'd get in a good laugh or two.

Katie was still waiting for an answer, and Finn couldn't find it in him to argue with her anymore. He should at least give this his best effort – that way if Quinn asked him out again, he could tell Katie he'd tried but it just didn't work out. Finn was never a good liar, and he was sure he wasn't getting out of this easy.

"Alright," Finn groaned, heaving himself off the floor to meet a grinning Katie. She was already holding out six shirts for him. "What'd'ya got for me?"

He would regret this.

* * *

"Daniel, I'm telling you. This is _hell. _I saw a _Cow-Crossing _sign on my way over here!"

Rachel could hear him laughing on the other end, causing her to wonder what in the _world _he thought was so funny about her pending doom. This place would be the death of her. "Babe, I told you you should have come with me and my parents to Europe. You know, we didn't leave yet… I'm sure if you cry enough your dads will let you come back for the month."

Rachel threw her head back against her pillow, her eyes scanning the ridges in the ceiling before falling shut with a sigh. "You _know _I can't do that. They're not letting me back unless my aversion to cow manure proves fatal, and sadly I don't think I'm that lucky."

She heard Daniel sigh and another groan fled from her lips as well. "Well, listen," Daniel started, and she could tell he was seconds from hanging up on her. It didn't alarm her at all that they'd already had a system worked out. "I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think. And if it is, well… you'll get through it!"

"Wow, thanks," Rachel muttered, too low for him to hear. Was this supposed to be making her feel better? Because it was doing just the opposite…

"Anyway, I gotta go, babe. Sarah and Anna just got here and we're on our way down to Bryan's in Long Beach for the weekend. So, uh, have fun down there chucking corn and stuff. I'll talk to you soon!"

The line went dead and Rachel briefly wondered if she cared. Aggravated, she tossed the phone somewhere toward the edge of the bed, not bothering to see where it landed. She was pretty sure her _friends _wouldn't be calling the rest of the weekend anyway.

She really couldn't believe she was here. Rachel Barbara Berry was not one to be easily defeated, but she suddenly felt like the day had come. What was she supposed to do in the middle of nowhere for two whole months? This place wasn't exactly jumping with excitement, and Rachel was positive she and these small town kids didn't run in quite the same circles. Rachel went down to Times Square for fun; these people went cow-tipping. The two didn't exactly mix.

Opening her eyes miserably, Rachel let out a dejected sigh and reminded herself _once again _that there was no point in grumbling over the inevitable. Like it or not, she was going to be stuck here, and there was no amount of whining she or anyone else could do to get her out of it.

"Rachel, honey? Can I come in?"

The bedroom door creaked open slightly and Rachel reminded herself to smile. She'd promised her daddies that as miserable as she was about being there, she wouldn't show her unhappiness to Aunt Ruth. She was beyond excited to have Rachel for the whole summer, and Rachel promised she wouldn't mess that up.

"Yes, Aunt Ruth," Rachel called, exhaling her last sigh before molding a soft smile on her lips.

The older woman entered and Rachel heaved herself up against the pillows, preparing herself for what she was sure would be an earful. Ruth Berry was in fact her Daddy's step-sister, and she somehow managed quite a life for herself here in the small town dump that is Lima. She was a slight woman, sweet yet somehow deceivingly nosy for her size. Rachel hadn't spent so much time with her in the past few years, but from what she could remember, much of Rachel's persistence and egotism could be found in Aunt Ruth as well. Her father assured her she was a lovely woman though…

Looking right past Rachel, Aunt Ruth strolled toward Rachel's luggage against the far wall, one hand jutted out from her hip. "Oh," she started, glancing around expectantly. "I would have expected you to be unpacked by now."

Rachel inwardly groaned; she'd only _just _arrived three hours ago. The first two consisted of an exceptionally useless tour of this two-by-four town, immediately followed by a lengthy and suffocating reunion with her aunt and uncle. The next was of course spent wallowing in self-pity and relaying her frustrations to Daniel. _When_ could she have _possibly_ unpacked?

Instead, Rachel sighed and answered distractedly. "I just decided to lay down. I'm a little tired." Part of her was hoping Aunt Ruth would take the hint and skedaddle, but of course that wasn't the case.

"Well dear," Aunt Ruth began, making her way over to the vanity in the corner. She began fixing her hair in the mirror as she spoke, and Rachel resisted the urge for her eyes to roll around in her head. "You'll be accompanying us to the picnic tonight, won't you?"

_Oh no._ "Um, you know – "

"It's the annual festival, darling," Aunt Ruth reminded with conviction. "How would it look if we didn't attend?"

Rachel wouldn't be defeated that easily. "Well you can still – "

"There are tons of kiddies your age around town. I'm sure you'll fit in just fine."

"I – "

"Rachel, sweetie," Aunt Ruth soothed, facing Rachel with a small, condescending smile. It did nothing to pacify her. Slowly she made her way to the edge of the bed, the strong scent of her lavish perfume all but choking the air from Rachel's lungs. "We are so thrilled to have you with us, and it would just mean the _world_ if you would join us for the night."

How could she say no when she asked like that?

Rachel sighed inaudibly, forcing her best fake smile onto her lips as Aunt Ruth placed a not-so-caring hand on her shoulder. "That sounds lovely, Auntie," Rachel agreed, hoping the venomous screaming going on inside her head wasn't showing in her response. "What time will we be leaving?"

Clapping her hands together excitedly, Aunt Ruth stood and smoothed out her dress, checking her watch with a wicked grin. "Oh, about twenty minutes or so. Hurry up now!" She chirped, exhaling happily as she left the room.

_Great, _Rachel groaned, her head flopping back against the pillow with a thud.

This was going to be a long summer.

-Glee-

Some twenty minutes after they arrived, Rachel had lost Aunt Ruth among a crowd of Lima's finest, all neat and polished for what Rachel guessed was this town's only social function. Not surprising though, it was being held in a big empty field. Big white tents gave the party a quasi-border and a few carnival games were scattered intermittently among the clutter. Rachel took to simply strolling through the crowds, taking the time to soak in the setting. Besides the musky smell of _farm _still hanging in the air, Rachel could begrudgingly admit that it was a cute little place, nicely decorated with some pretty greenery and such. It certainly wasn't a place Rachel could ever imagine herself _staying, _but she wasn't smug enough not to admire it from afar.

She kept to a snail's pace, curiosity causing her to observe the goings-on of the party. She watched as hoards of children played and laughed on the hill just behind the picnic tents, so happy and carefree that she almost envied them. She noticed a large group of teenagers, assumedly her age, hooting and cheering at the big Fast Money wheel to her left, and she self-consciously dropped her head as she walked past. She just knew she didn't fit in here.

She spotted a lonely wooden bench at the end of the square and made her way over. She was beginning to wonder if Aunt Ruth would notice if she just up and left; it wasn't like she was "mingling" like she'd told her to anyway. This group just wasn't her type, she told herself. Rachel Berry was anything but antisocial, but what could she possibly discuss with these people? She hadn't a clue what they did for fun; she was sure they were things like bird watching and fly fishing, and frankly, she didn't think she could hold a conversation about those things for more than five minutes. Had they any idea of the Broadway classics, greats like Bernadette Peters or Patti LuPone? Had they a clue of the brilliant Barbara Streisand? She seriously doubted it.

Exhaling miserably, Rachel threw her head back against the hard edge of the bench and closed her eyes. Maybe then she could forget the fact that she'd slowly be dying of boredom. She was so lost in her own misfortune that she didn't sense the presence of the boy sitting beside her. It wasn't until he coughed loudly that she opened her eyes and glanced swiftly in his direction. She was surprised to find him staring right at her.

Feeling immensely uncomfortable, Rachel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked down into her lap. After a few seconds of painful silence, she decided to be polite. "Hello," she muttered, looking up warily into the boy's face. He was grinning from ear to ear, and she felt very uneasy.

"Well, hell-_o _to you, too," he announced, placing a confident arm around her shoulder against the bench. "What do you say we ditch this place, baby?"

"Excuse me?" Rachel squeaked, her hands fiddling in her lap awkwardly.

The boy raised his eyebrows suggestively, a sly sparkle in his eyes that Rachel immediately disliked. "I know this great little place right around the corner. It's got everything we need to get better _acquainted_ with each other," he suggested, one hand already running down her arm. Rachel retracted it quickly. "I'm Puck, by the way. But I'm sure we've already met in your dreams."

Rachel groaned; could this guy get any more pathetic? She stood abruptly, shrugging off his hand that reached for her own and crossing her arms defiantly. "Right, _Puck_. Well thank you, but I assure you I haven't the slightest interest in becoming _acquainted _with you in any way, shape, or form."

Turning on her heel, she immediately spotted a drink stand and made her way over, hoping to rid of that asshole. Despite his obvious good looks, she already knew his type, and she was _not _interested. Soon enough, though, she felt a hand make its way behind her waist and a cocky chuckle breathe against her neck. She shuddered. "I get it, playin' hard to get… How 'bout I save you the time, babe? _I'm_ interested."

"I'm not," she stated doggedly, trying in vain to catch the attention of the stand worker.

_Puck _sniggered quietly at her side, raising the hairs on her arms in aggravation. She was seconds away from throwing a fit. Couldn't this guy take a hint? "Don't try to resist it, babe. It's _natural. No one_ can resist the Puckmeister."

"The who?" Rachel groaned. "Look, I'm sure you've already gathered that this isn't going to happen, so why not run along with your friends instead of embarrassing yourself any further?" Was this waiter deaf? She must have called for him five times already. She just wanted a bottle of water!

She felt Puck's arm drop from her waist and breathed a small sigh of relief…only to find him lean against the counter and face her dead-on. _Ugh._

"Come on, baby, I'm tryin' here," he begged, eyes boring into hers sensually. She fought back the bile forming in her throat. "What do I gotta do to get a piece of you?"

"A _what?_"

* * *

"Cheer camp is going to be so much fun this year. I've already picked out what I'm wearing for the bus ride there."

"Isn't it a month away?"

"Well yeah," Quinn sighed, rolling her eyes as Finn stared in confusion. "But I have to _look _nice."

_Obviously, _Finn groaned to himself. He would kill Katie for this. All night long Quinn insisted on drowning him in her annoying chatter, and he might have been interested if it was anything, well, _interesting. _She'd no sooner gotten off the subject of eyeliners when she jumped right into cheerleading formations. Why would he care about that stuff?

Finn glanced around the picnic aloofly, bored stiff as Quinn droned on about God knows what. Really, was there some law against shutting up for two seconds? He spotted Puck across the field hitting on some girl and chuckled inwardly. That guy was always at it. He almost turned his attention away when he noticed the look of pure disgust on the girl's face, an expression not many girls entertained when Puck was around. Finn's eyes threatened to bust from their sockets when the girl stood hastily and walked off, leaving a very confused looking Puck in her wake before he followed after her. Finn took an unconscious step forward. This just got interesting.

Puck and Finn had a sort of system worked out, one that favored Finn much more often than it did Puck. If the girl wasn't drawn in after ten minutes (five, in Puck's case), one would go over to save the other. As Finn said, Puck didn't employ the system too much. That's why the cocky grin on Finn's lips widened when Puck glanced in his direction and shot him "the" look, and why that damn smile stayed in place when Finn excused himself from Quinn and strutted confidently over to Puck and the _one _girl who rejected him. He'd have to give her a hug after this.

"Puck! Buddy, how are ya?" Finn grinned, slapping Puck on the shoulder a little harder than necessary.

Puck narrowed his eyes dangerously before mocking a sigh and hanging his head dramatically. Finn called this his "last ditch effort". "Not good, Finn man, not good. Gorgeous over here won't give me the time 'a day," he muttered sadly, and Finn resisted the laugh rising to his lips. He would rub this in Puck's face for eternity.

For now, Finn decided to save Puck more embarrassment and just end the trouble. He snuck a glance toward this "gorgeous" girl Puck was assaulting, and realized he had no idea who she was. That was weird; Finn knew everyone in this town. Clearly she wasn't amused by Puck's _chivalry_. That was made painfully clear by the horror-struck scowl etched on her face and the dangerous trace in her eyes when she glared up at Finn as well. He quickly retracted his gaze.

"Hey, Becca just got here, man," Finn told Puck, giving him a quick exit. "She's been asking for you."

With one last glance toward the new girl, Puck sighed loudly and nodded his head. "Listen sweet thing," he tried once more, eliciting a suppressed chuckle from Finn. "If you ever need some lovin' – "

"I think I'll be just fine," the girl snapped, eyes narrowed and jaw clenched. Finn was a little scared himself. With one final look toward Finn, Puck hastily scooped up his dignity and walked off. If Finn hadn't seen it with his own two eyes, he wasn't sure he'd believe it.

He had to congratulate this girl or something. This must be a record.

Finn turned toward the girl with a soft smile on his lips, hoping he wouldn't make her uncomfortable; Puck had already done enough of that. What he wasn't expecting was to see her literally _fuming _as she glared straight ahead, not even stealing a look when Finn cleared his throat loudly. Instead, she tried in vain to get the attention of one of his football buddies that was working the stand.

"Ugh, what do I have to do to get a stupid water," he heard her grumble to herself, and truthfully he didn't think her tone was something to mess with. She seemed pretty pissed.

"Hey Tommy!" Finn called, waving him over as he waited on a few kids. Tommy smiled, jogging over to their end of the counter and giving Finn a strong handshake.

"Finn, what's good, man? You all set for football camp next month?"

Unlike the rest of his teammates, Finn wasn't exactly thrilled over the prospect of spending two weeks drenched in sweat and the reek of Puck's disgusting gym socks. It wasn't his idea of _fun_, per se. "You bet, man," he said instead, choosing to be polite over honest. He glanced quickly to the side at the girl again, and noticed her foot tapping dangerously. Finn gulped. "Hey, you think I can get two waters?" he asked quickly, handing Tommy a crumpled five from his pocket.

"Sure thing, dude," Tommy smiled, returning quickly with their drinks before excusing himself.

Carefully Finn faced her, cautiously handing her the bottle. "For you," he tried, watching as her eyes stayed fixed in their firm glare. She took the offer wordlessly and avoided Finn's open gaze. He had to admit he was starting to feel a little awkward.

Scratching his ear nervously, Finn decided he should probably say something. "Are you new here?" he asked uneasily. Stupid question, since he already knew the answer…

The girl just gaped at him, and he wondered if maybe she was some kind of foreign exchange student or something. It didn't look like she understood him. _Wait, that's stupid, _Finn thought self-consciously. _She just talked like a second ago. Idiot._

Finn shuffled on his feet but tried again. "I'm sorry, I didn't get a chance to introduce myself. I'm sure you heard, my name's Finn," he began with a smile, extending his hand only to have her stare in disbelief. Hadn't she ever heard of a _handshake _before? Finn figured she needed a push. "And you are?"

"_I _didn't need you to come _save_ me," the girl muttered finally, crossing her arms defiantly across her chest.

Finn rocked back on the balls of his feet, a little thrown by the scowl etched on her face. Being an unassuming kind of guy though, Finn decided to play nice.

"Sure," he snorted, nodding his head shortly. "I know Puck. Two more minutes and you would have been begging me to drag him away. He's a bit of a…_charmer,_" Finn drawled, the corner of his lip twitching upward in a crooked smile. Katie'd told him that girls couldn't resist it.

Apparently this one could.

Meeting his eyes, she glared, _hard. _"You don't have to go acting like some sort of righteous hero," she bit back, crinkling the water bottle angrily in her hand. Her other flew to her hip, jutting out as she glowered. "I can handle myself just fine."

Who _was_ this girl?

Finn wasn't exactly used to people – girls, especially – being so downright _rude _to him, and he immediately found that he _loathed _it. Something about her tone just rubbed him the wrong way, but despite her cutting remarks, he tried to keep him tone as unaffected as possible.

"You're right," he conceded, taking a deliberate step away from this girl. He wasn't about to spend any more time getting scolded for his _righteous _heroics. "Next time I won't waste my time, _princess. _Geez," he muttered, shaking his head slightly as he backed away. "Apparently some people just don't know how to say '_thank _you.'"

Her hand shot off her tiny hip faster than Finn could even spell the word, and her eyes burned dangerously as he finished his claim. A tiny fleck of blatant terror fought its way into his stomach, and for a moment he thought her fierce charcoal eyes might just burn a whole straight through his heart.

"Ex_cuse _me!" she hissed, and Finn's courage came flooding back as her harsh tone sunk in once again. "You don't know the first thing _about _me!"

A small chuckle found its home in the back of Finn's throat and he let it go as he exhaled. "You're right," he nodded, turning to face her as his feet continued their escape. "And you seem pretty dead set on keeping it that way."

With one final shrug of his shoulder, Finn met her eyes and turned away again, just in time to see Quinn grinning crazily and waving him over with her perfectly manicured claw.

_You escape one… _he thought glumly.

Katie was gonna get it when he got home…


	3. Haste Makes Waste

**A/N: So sorry for the wait on this one, guys, but updates won't be coming too frequently until about the end of next week. Real life sucks sometimes. Expect Chapter 4 somewhere between next Monday and Wednesday - if it's not up by then, I give each and every one of you full permission to strangle me.**

**Hope this chapter doesn't completely disappoint. I didn't get as much time with it as I would have liked, but I couldn't hold onto it anymore for fear of my own sanity. Say adios to the filler chapters though and hola! to the big ones from here on out - we're bringin' on the Finchel!**

**BIG P.S.: You guys can all thank tjcrowfoot for this update! Her awesomely awesome words really brought me out of my slump, so this one's dedicated to her! :) Oh, and if you're insane and haven't already, go read all her stories - they're amazing!**

**Disclaimer: If I give Ryan Murphy my ridiculously busy schedule this week, you think he'll give me Glee? Yeah, I doubt it too.**

* * *

"**Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs. Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers eyes. Being vexed, a sea nourished with lovers tears. What is it else? A madness most discreet, a choking gall and a preserving sweet." – William Shakespeare **

"**There is something in humility which strangely exalts the heart." – St. Augustine**

For the first time since she got here, Rachel thought maybe Lima wasn't such a terrible place.

Lying out here, rocking her yellow polka dot bikini and, ironically, listening to the novelty song through her pink ear buds, Rachel realized she might not have given the small town a fair chance. It was the nicest day out since she'd gotten her almost a week ago, and the first time that she'd actually been let out of Aunt Ruth's sight for more than five minutes. After the disaster that was the town picnic, Aunt Ruth had found Rachel crying silently in her bedroom, and practically _forced _it all out of her. Rachel had to admit – she felt a little better after talking about everything, but it was kind of weird, talking about her _feelings. _She was used to dealing with those things by herself, but talking to Aunt Ruth about it felt oddly…liberating.

The heat of the sun felt nice on her skin as she lounged out on the Berry's spacious back deck. She was humming along quietly to herself, feeling perfectly at ease. She thought she might like to do this every day. The city was never like this – _quiet. _Besides the soft lull of her music, there was nothing but the sounds of the light breeze swimming through the trees and the pool filter purring mechanically in the background. She liked it, this feeling that for once, she was perfectly and entirely _alone. _She could actually hear herself _think_, and she was pretty sure she hadn't relaxed this much in, well, ever.

It was nice.

Hard as she might though, Rachel couldn't get that boy _Finn _to give her thoughts a rest. His words cut deeper than she'd ever felt before, and she'd been wondering all week why that might be. She finally attributed the cause to her own insecurities – she had always disliked criticism, but for someone who hardly knew her to say something so harsh, that struck harder than ever. Something about that reasoning didn't sit right with her though, and she refused to believe that perhaps it hurt so badly because what he said had been kind of…_true. _That was unacceptable. What did he know anyway? He was just some small town _jerk _who'd jumped to ignorant and foolish conclusions. He couldn't possibly understand Rachel's grand lifestyle, or the pressures she felt _every day _to be someone worthy of stardom, or the uncertainty she festered that perhaps _maybe _she wouldn't make it. She had to be strong, she had to be tough in order to make her dreams come true, and a few polite words and tender smile wouldn't make her forget that. She'd reacted in the only way she knew how. Self-preservation, she liked to call it, and it's what would ensure her future as a star.

Despite those nagging words repeating themselves vehemently though, Rachel felt at peace. The sun was beaming, the birds were chirping, and she actually felt…_happy_.

"Well! Be still my beating _heart!_"

_So much for that…_

Puck whistled. "Screw Shakespeare, I think I'm looking at a masterpiece…"

Rachel groaned, her eyes rolling behind her thick shades. "Charming," she muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.

"But, my! Do thine eyes deceive thee? … _That's right, right?_" she heard him mutter aside, and curiously Rachel lifted her head to see whom he must have been speaking to. Her eyes threatened to fall into her lap when she recognized that insolent oaf _Finn _standing right beside him.

What was _he _doing here? If he was so smug, why was he tagging along while Puck tried yet again to gain her affections? He'd made his dislike towards her very clear, and obviously little Miss Sunshine she'd seen him with a few days before had him wrapped snug around her finger. That bitterness seeped into her thoughts yet again when she revisited his words toward her from the picnic, and that hostility creeped its way to her lips before she could stop it.

"What is it with you boys? In case I didn't make it painfully clear when we last spoke, I am not interested in whatever it is you're seeking." She slid the shades down her nose primly and rose her eyebrows as she caught them staring. "You can run along now."

To her surprise, Finn actually _snorted _at her, _loudly. _"Wow, where are you from, Hollywood?" he snickered, leaving Rachel with a very sour taste in her mouth. He shook his head in mocking disbelief while he turned away from her, hoping up on the riding mower before yelling back to her. "Don't flatter yourself, _sweetheart._ _No one_ would stick around you if they didn't have to." With that, the engine of the mower growled and off he went, making a not-so-quick escape as the cart practically tiptoed toward the end of the lawn.

Rachel could hear the _click _going off in the back of her head and an uncomfortable blush scurried its way to her cheeks. Aunt Ruth had told her the "landscapers" would be by that afternoon and would Rachel keep an eye on them, but what Rachel hadn't expected was that these "landscapers" happened to be Finn and Puck. For a moment she was beyond embarrassed – she hated acting like some presumptuous twit – but then she remembered Finn's comment and the blush turned into fiery anger. Rachel growled to herself, a low deep rumble in the back of her throat as Finn ridiculed her yet _again. _She'd no idea what this boy's problem was.

"Don't worry, baby," Puck piped up, meeting Rachel's eyes with a wicked grin. In his hand was the watering hose, placed _strategically _between his legs as he winked seductively at her. "I'll _stick around, _for you…"

She didn't even feel the need to hide her disgust. "_Thanks,_" she muttered, her head falling back against her towel again. Maybe if she just ignored him he'd go away.

Sadly, Rachel's plan didn't work out as well as she hoped. Puck proved more and more irritating by the second, his comments ranging from slightly inappropriate to downright revolting. Her favorite was still the lesson he'd given her in arithmetic:

"_Add me and you together, subtract our clothes, divide your legs, and let's multiply._"

Rachel certainly learned something from that little number.

Finn kept to himself, only offering a grinning eye roll at some of Puck's particularly amusing gems and nothing else. Rachel couldn't really say why his silence frustrated her so much. She even responded to some of Puck's comments with a few jabs of her own, each time seeing if perhaps Finn might add in his two-cents, but each time was just that much more maddening when he said nothing in return. What made him so self-righteous?

Rachel quickly found that she couldn't relax anymore. The soothing sounds of before were now trumped by the obnoxious buzz of the hedge trimmers or the annoying _splash _of the pool skimmer…or, not to be outdone, Puck's witty remarks.

The sun was high in the sky now and it grew considerably hotter, which Rachel would have welcomed…did it not spark the two boys in her yard to strip their shirts and flaunt their bare chests to her. Rachel didn't want to admit _any _sort of attraction to these two lowlifes, but how could she deny it when their perfectly sculpted pecks were glistening in the summer sun like diamonds? She was a girl – she _liked _diamonds…

"You like what you see, Berry?" Puck called finally, wiping his brow as he leaned casually against the deck railing.

"Hardly," she scoffed, swallowing down her parched throat as he stared. Thank _goodness _she was wearing sunglasses.

"Right," Puck grinned, giving _himself _a once over, and Rachel was quickly reminded why she disliked him. Suddenly an obnoxious ringing cut off Puck's next comic and he reached down to grasp a cell phone from the deck floor. "Hudson!" he shouted, much louder than Rachel liked. Finn removed the safety buds from his ears and quickly cut the motor. "Your _girl's _callin'!"

Antipathy nestled in Rachel's stomach as Finn jogged over hurriedly, wiping his sweaty hands on his shorts before quickly bringing the phone to his ear. His breathy _hello _made his chest heave slightly, and Rachel felt a little parched as a droplet of sweat slithered down past his flat stomach and lost itself in his smooth abs. The thought only angered her more – just because he was good-looking didn't mean she felt any more fondness toward him. He was still an arrogant _jerk. _

"What's up, Katie?" he panted, gliding his fingers through the mess of russet hair atop his head.

_Katie, _Rachel sneered. So that was the snob's name. Or maybe this was another one, and Finn was just some two-faced player. From the smile on his face and the mildness in his voice, he was pretty smitten with this girl, and Rachel wondered what she was like. But only for a second, because then she went right back to hating his guts.

He hung up the phone no more than two minutes later, and Puck tossed him a water bottle as he walked back out toward the yard. "You're sucha girl," he chuckled, earning a hard glare from Finn. So apparently he was whipped too…

With Puck gone and no one else to fill the void, the silence was quite uncomfortable. To ensure her pride, Rachel surely did not want to be the first to speak, but ignoring Finn's presence beside her proved instantly impossible. He stared at her awkwardly, like he felt obliged to say something but he couldn't formulate the words in his head. Rachel almost opened her mouth when he peeked down at his phone again, but she was reminded about _Katie _and the bitterness returned.

"So you're a _Berry_?" Finn finally grumbled, a clear look of distaste very prominent on his features. Rachel definitely did not appreciate the sour inflection, nor did she approve of his attempt at a conversation starter.

"I most certainly am," she announced proudly, arms crossed firmly on her chest as she held her chin high. Her daddies taught her to be proud of her name; it would follow her to stardom. The look on this boy though told her he wasn't a fan. She scowled. "Why the _repugnant_ face?"

"Uh, what?" His lip turned down in a bewildered frown and Rachel decided she might as well just give up. This boy was apparently illiterate.

"Nothing," she snapped, shaking her head angrily when she caught his obvious eye roll. She _had _eyes!

No way would she allow this boy to hassle her any more. Her peaceful day in the sun long forgotten, Rachel hastily grabbed at her towel and slipped her sunglasses over her eyes once again, making sure to shoot a very heated glower Finn's way. He ignored it.

"Ah, come on," she heard Puck shout across the lawn, and she instinctively walked faster when she felt his eyes trailing her. "Leavin' so soon, gorgeous? The party just started!"

"Ugh, _please,"_ Rachel sneered, not even bothering to turn around and face that creep. "Unlike _you _two boys, _I _actually have a life to tend to."

The fact that said life was hundreds of miles away wasn't important right now. With that, Rachel threw her towel over her shoulder and strutted right toward the house, keeping her head held high when she heard Puck's wolf calls trailing her inside.

She would deny that she snuck a glance out the window when she got in, just to see if Finn had responded the same way. She wasn't irked at _all _that he looked wholly unaffected.

She wasn't.

_-RRRRRR-_

She didn't know why, but she needed to get out of there.

Rachel had locked herself in her room for the next four hours, laying face down on her bed and letting the music just drown her in her misery. Aunt Ruth was in Columbus until the next day, and to Rachel's surprise, she kind of missed her. It was nice having someone to talk to around here. Uncle Jimmy was fishing, as usual, and part of Rachel wondered if he was just hiding. He was never the most sociable guy.

Dressing in her favorite pink skirt and a flattering white blouse, Rachel left the house and strolled aimlessly until she reached Main Street. Apparently it wasn't all that "_Main"_, because there were a total of ten people out and about and even fewer actually on the road. Rachel had no clue where she was going, or where she'd wind up, but eventually she found herself at a slightly worn down gate, the door swinging perilously as it hung on one hinge. She'd blame it on curiosity and intense boredom, but Rachel found herself walking inside.

Immediately catching her attention was the swing set straight ahead, big and red and _empty. _She skipped over like a little girl; she hadn't swung on a swing in _years. _The paint was chipping away slightly and there were plenty of nasty profanities scribbling on the underside of the seats, but Rachel ignored all that and happily kicked her feet off the ground. That familiar feeling of youth – that she could fly if she wanted and a pair of big strong arms would cushion her fall – came flooding back as she soared through the air. She reveled in it and pumped again, savoring this feeling of actual _fun._ When was the last time she felt free like this?

"Finn, come on! Just throw the ball!"

_Finn? _

Rachel's ears immediately perked up and she searched around frantically, her feet suddenly limp as the swing lost its fervor. Eyes scanning the vicinity, Rachel spotted a little girl jumping up and down in the baseball field some fifty yards away, cute little baseball cap and all. She smiled gaily at the image until she suddenly heard his voice.

"Katie, heads up! Fly ball!"

The girl giggled happily and stuck her glove in the air, catching the ball with a grin.

"Did'ja see, Finn? I totally caught that!"

"You totally did!" she heard him yell, and watched unbelievingly as he jogged toward the girl – _Katie, _she realized – and high-fived her. On his head was the same hat the girl was sporting, and his green baseball jersey had "Coach" splashed out across the back.

Katie? _Katie? _Katie. Rachel never had trouble making sense of things, but this was seriously testing her intelligence. The one who was calling him today was a _little girl? _His sister, maybe? Neighbor? Why did Rachel's stomach suddenly feel lighter knowing this?

She wanted to laugh, maybe make fun of him just as Puck had done this morning. But she could feel the typical "_awh"_ come rushing to her lips and it took all her might not to let it escape. So he coached a little league team, and he watched after this Katie… Did that negate what he'd said to her at the picnic? Did that change the fact that he treated her like a pariah and probably had a voodoo doll of her lying around somewhere? No, it didn't.

Then why couldn't she tear her eyes away from him?

* * *

"Katie, would you just let it go? _Please_?" Finn was starting to wonder why he hadn't just lied to her.

"I just don't understand," Katie groaned, throwing the ball back a little harder than necessary. "Why didn't'cha just kiss her?"

"Because no matter how hard I try, I can't ignore that Quinn Fabray is _evil!_" he glowered. "There, are you happy?"

Katie harrumphed, mocking his words as she shot the ball back at him. "Fine, but at least tell me how your date went!"

"It was fine," Finn muttered, ignoring the nagging part of his brain that screamed about what a lie that was. He didn't feel like thinking _anymore _about that annoying Rachel Berry girl, or the fact that she'd managed to once again make him feel like dirt before he'd even had lunch today. He'd never met someone so –

"-aggravating! It's like we've never done this before!" He heard Katie complaining, and he almost got knocked in the head when her ball came flying toward him. He ducked just in time for it to soar past his head and into the park behind him, and Katie's scowl proved she wasn't thrilled. He couldn't help but laugh; she was such a little twerp.

"You threw it," Finn announced, throwing his hands innocently in the air. Chucking her glove to the ground, Katie stalked toward the ball, grumbling to herself the whole way. Finn chuckled as he watched her march, but it quickly fell from his lips when he noticed who was sitting on the park swings.

Cruella Deville's twin: Rachel Berry.

Couldn't she just leave him alone? Honestly, why did she insist on ruining his _entire_ summer? His heart threatened to jump out his throat when he noticed her jump off the swings and pick up the ball that had rolled toward her feet. His eyes wanted to burst from their sockets when she offered it to Katie with an actual smile and glanced casually his way.

Finn couldn't explain the look, nor could he explain why it raised the few hairs on his chest or the blood to his cheeks. Anger, he decided. That was why. Adrenaline coursed through his veins and it took all his might to keep from running over there. He didn't know what he'd do if he did, but he just felt this strange pull to do so. Probably to protect Katie from the Grinch's little helper, he resolved.

"Katie!" Finn called, unsure what the hell to do. He didn't want that girl anywhere near his little cousin. She made Quinn look like the freaking Easter Bunny. "Come on, let's hit some grounders."

Katie nodded and ran back his way, and Finn felt his heart start back up when she was at his side and Rachel was far away. That girl just made him feel uneasy, like his stomach was in knots or his lungs couldn't breathe right. That couldn't be good, not at all.

Finn tried to ignore the feeling that Rachel was watching him the whole game, but he couldn't. He would look back every inning or so to see her still there, seemingly watching the game as she swung casually. He even noticed her yelling a few times when one of his kids was called out or hit an apparent foul ball. That was weird – shouldn't she be home polishing her horns or something?

By the time the game ended Finn was ready to get the hell outta there. He wasn't sure if Rachel stayed or not, because after the fifth inning the swing set was vacant and her cute pink skirt was nowhere to be found. He barely noticed.

Katie was already chattering away when they'd finished packing the equipment and made their way toward the car. "Did you_ see_ my hit, Finn? That was my first double _ever! _It woulda been a triple too if stupid Bobby Johnson didn't start running the wrong way…"

Finn chuckled; some of his kids were…_interesting._ "Yeah, I know. That was the best hit of the whole game, Kat," Finn agreed, smiling as Katie starting skipping along next to him.

"And did you see that double play I almost had?" she squealed. "I think that ump was just blind. I totally tagged that kid!"

"You did, I saw it. That guy just needed glasses."

Katie nodded her head fervently. "I don't think he liked it when you yelled that to him though…"

She was right – that shithead was out to get his kids after Finn went a little berserk on him. But he totally screwed them over! So what if they lost fifteen to three? They were just a little…rusty. Finn had to admit though – maybe he shouldn't have called the guy a "bald, worthless piece of horse crap" in front of everyone. The parents didn't seem to appreciate that.

Finn shrugged. "Whatever, he had it comin'."

Katie muttered her agreement wholeheartedly, then surprised Finn by jumping up full force onto his back. Staggering slightly, he managed to balance the equipment bag on his shoulder and still grasp her feet around his waist.

"Pizza time!" Katie cheered happily, her excitement a little _heavy _while Finn was carrying two bags already. Nevertheless, he chuckled and cheered right along with her.

"Pizza time," he repeated with a smile. This was probably his favorite part of this whole coaching thing. After every game, he and Katie went down to Joey's Pizza Shack for his ever-famous Six Cheese Explosion. Finn held the personal record for "Most Slices Eaten", and despite the next few days that followed, that twenty dollar prize was well worth it.

"Hey Finn," Katie muttered, her voice much quieter than it was a moment ago. Finn's head perked up when her little finger pointed over to the empty, dilapidated park they were passing, specifically to the rickety old swing set previously occupied by New York's finest. _Whoop-de-freakin'-do_, Finn grumbled. Sparing Katie the scorn though, Finn followed the path her finger made and watched, wide-eyed, as the Ice Queen herself made a slow walk their way.

_Well _this_ should be interested_, Finn smirked to himself. _What other insults could Her Highness possibly make today?_

Dropping Katie from his back slowly, Finn kept his head as high as he could and fidgeted with the strap on the equipment bag. Rachel was cautiously making her way toward the two, and Finn looked down to see Katie following her path with a curious smile playing on her lips. This could go two very different ways, and Finn wasn't entirely sure which he'd prefer.

"Hi," Katie called out, waving happily as Rachel stopped a few yards in front of them. She looked uncertain, as if she wasn't sure Katie had addressed her or was just waving into open space. Finn looked down at her, just as awe-stricken, wondering why in the _hell _she was trying to get the Devil's attention.

Tentatively, Finn noticed, and with a bit of an embarrassed smile, Rachel waved back, scuffing her feet toward them at a snail's pace. Finn was growing more and more uncomfortable by the second, and he wasn't soothed at all when Katie stretched out her little hand as Rachel approached. His head was actually throbbing when Katie started chirping away.

"I'm Katie," she sang with a smile. "What's your name?"

Didn't he teach her not to talk to strangers? _Damn it, _Finn groaned. Why did Katie have to be so happy and peppy all the time? Now she'd just attracted the Wicked Witch of the West. Finn briefly wondered what would happen if he started clicking his shoes together frantically.

Finn was surprised to find Rachel _shy, _timidly shaking Katie's hand and smiling bashfully. "Rachel," she muttered quietly. Meeting Finn's eyes warily, she spoke with more commitment. "Rachel _Berry_."

Katie seemed unaffected, her smile beaming a little wider at this new girl. "'S'nice to meet 'cha, Rachel Berry."

Finn could seriously feel the sweat pouring down his back. He'd never felt more awkward in his whole life, and that was something for a guy as uncoordinated as Finn Hudson. He sincerely hoped Katie would just leave this go; he wasn't sure why (probably due to her cutting remarks, if Finn really thought about it) but just being _around _Rachel made Finn feel like the smallest person in the world. He felt as if she could literally crush him by just a flip of her long, chocolate hair or a bat of her incredibly long, not-at-all seductive lashes. He never felt like that, and he didn't think he liked it.

"Thank you, Katie. It's a pleasure to meet you as well," Rachel announced innocently, avoiding Finn's questioning gaze at all costs. He seriously wondered if maybe she'd hit her head when she was parking her broomstick; was this the same girl who'd just hours before literally taken his pride and crumbled it to pieces by a simple insult? Maybe she didn't recognize him?

"You were wonderful," Rachel smiled, gesturing out toward the now empty baseball field.

Katie grinned back widely, erupting – against Finn's will – a proud smile on his lips as well. "Thanks," she beamed back, smiling up at Finn as she spoke. "My cousin Finny taught me everythin' I know."

_Why, _Finn groaned to himself. _Why did she have to call him Finny in front of her? Or in front of anyone! _

He could see Rachel biting her lip back from a smile and wondered when she'd become human. She actually looked kind of – NO! _No_, Finn shook his head firmly, he wouldn't even let himself think it. That girl was an awful human being and there was no way in _hell_ he'd ever admit that he kind of thought _maybe_ she was sort of a little gorgeous. He wouldn't do it.

"Well," Rachel nodded, sneaking a sly glance in Finn's direction. He averted his quickly. "You were very impressive. I sincerely hope that referee man knows how atrocious his verdicts were."

_Huh? _

Katie smiled anyway, even though Finn was sure she had no idea what this girl was saying. Well, maybe she did. She always was a _little _smarter than him with that sort of stuff. Fixing his hat atop his head, Finn was just about to scoot Katie along when the little dweeb uttered the _one _thing he wished she wouldn't.

"Me and Finny are goin' for pizza down the street. His treat. You wanna come?"

He couldn't help it. He wished he could, but he couldn't. The way his heart was beating, waiting for her response, was making his throat feel like cardboard and his cheeks to burn like flames. What was he so nervous about – that she'd say yes, or no? Yuck, why was he thinking about this girl? Hell, why was he _thinking _at all? He knew it did nothing but confuse him.

Going along with his "not thinking" decision, Finn said the one thing he knew would replace those humble thoughts in his head with ones much more cynical, ones he learned from past experience Rachel would surely say. His lips felt heavier before he even voiced them, but they slipped out anyway.

"Katie, please," he muttered, looking anywhere but Rachel as he placed his hand on Katie's shoulder and pushed her forward a little. "Unlike us, Rachel actually has a _life _to tend to."

He felt like crap. Complete, utter crap.

Katie looked up at him like he was a stranger, and Rachel's face dropped like he'd just confessed that he'd run over a puppy…with three legs…and half an ear. His tongue felt swollen in his mouth and guilt pounded on his eardrums. The look Rachel was giving him…he didn't know what could possibly make him feel more horrible. Why was this girl affecting him so much? He didn't even know her, and she'd already said more than enough hurtful things to bring him down.

Why couldn't he do the same?

Katie turned quickly back to Rachel and he watched as her lip trembled. That only made him feel worse, if possible. Katie opened and closed her mouth, obviously unsure what to say to take back Finn's ugly comment, but there was nothing to do. Rachel blinked twice as fast as normal and her mouth parted slightly, but once Katie's eyes reached hers she gathered her composure and lifted her chin. Nodding firmly once, Rachel tried a smile and met Finn's shameful gaze. He was surprised to find genuine _feeling _there. He refused to name which feeling it was though.

"He's right," she said, clearing her throat. "I better go. It was wonderful meeting you, Katie." With that, Rachel kept her chin up and turned on her heel, not once glancing back as she quickly made her way out of the park. He noticed she turned left, and the Berry's house was right, but she didn't seem to notice or care.

He wished he could, but Finn couldn't avoid Katie's glare forever. He looked down bleakly to see shame pooling in her big blue eyes, and he swore he might be drowning in it. Why couldn't he just shut his trap for once?

Staring at him for a moment more, Katie sighed once and lifted the side of her mouth in a small, uncertain smile. Why was that enough to cripple him? "Let's go," she said, and walked ahead as if he wasn't a terrible human being.

Crap. Crap, crap, _crap. _That Rachel girl rubbed off on him and now he felt like an asshole. Awesome.

Finn groaned, the bag sliding off his shoulder and landing right on his foot painfully. Cursing loudly, he guessed he kind of deserved it.

Now what? He knew the answer – damage control, _majorly. _Just…_how?_

He somehow knew he wouldn't be breaking his record at Joey's tonight. He was suddenly feeling sick.


	4. Swing, Swing

**A/N: Hey guys! Hope you approve of this chapter - things are moving along now, but don't let this chapter fool you! Not everything's smooth sailing haha.. I managed to get this one up a little earlier than I thought (I sort of skipped class today to finish it, but don't tell anyone... ;) ) so expect the next chapter within the next couple days! **

**It's really late, and I'm really tired, so enjoy! Thanks so so so so SO much for all your reviews and alerts and things - they're what made this early update possible, and I love each and every one of you for letting me know what you think :) I'm really not sure how exactly to "Review Reply", but just know that you guys are the BOMB, and if I could I would totally buy you each your very own Cory Monteith! **

**Disclaimer: Still no. **

* * *

**"Love doesn't make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile." - Elizabeth Browning**

Finn couldn't sleep.

He tried everything – counting backwards, forwards, Beatles' songs. He watched TV (six episodes of _Family Guy, _to be exact), did a hundred push-ups, hummed himself a lullaby. He even snuck downstairs to heat up some warm milk like his mom used to do when he was younger, but then he realized he had no clue where she hid the pots and the milk carton wouldn't fit in the toaster oven. Someone up there just didn't want him to sleep.

It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't feel so damn guilty. Katie hadn't been the same all night, and every time he tried to lighten the mood she just gave him this _look _– like, "I know heard what you said, and it was _mean."_ – Yeah, he knew. He heard it too. And he couldn't feel any worse about it.

It shouldn't have bothered him that much. Really, that Rachel girl was pretty mean to him too; he was just evening the playing field. But he guessed girls got more right to be mean than guys did. That didn't really seem all that fair, but then again, Finn knew from past experience that guys always seemed to get the short end of the stick, so he probably shouldn't argue it. Plus, girls always won anyway.

Trudging back into the living room to watch his seventh episode of _Family Guy_, Finn noticed his mom strewn out across the couch, still in her scrubs from work. He frowned to himself; she'd been working so hard since Finn could even remember. After all, she took on another mouth to feed when Katie came along, and with Finn, let's face it, it was practically like she had two already. Finn made a mental note to start looking for another summer job besides coaching Katie. Then he made another one not to forget _that_ one – he had the _worst _memory.

The clock read _3:46 _and Finn knew it was pointless to get his mom up to bed. She only had a few more hours 'til she had to be back at the hospital, so he might as well just let her sleep. Reaching around her for the blanket behind the couch, he carefully placed it over her frame and placed a small kiss on her forehead. He hoped she knew he loved her, even though he never said it. He _was_ a teenage guy, after all.

Five minutes passed when he realized he _still _couldn't sleep. What was it going to take to make his head shut up? Then he remembered what he'd done the last time this happened – it was six months ago when Katie got rushed to the hospital with a nasty case of the flu, and his mom wouldn't let him stay with her 'cause he had school the next day. Sleeping was hardly an option, so instead Finn jumped on his bike and just rode around 'til he wound up at the park. He could remember getting up on the jungle gym, his long legs practically touching the ground from the highest bar, and just _sitting. _It was hours before he finally felt like leaving, and though he hadn't slept a wink anyway, he felt a little bit better.

Making sure that his mom was still knocked out, Finn slowly opened the closet to grab his shoes and quietly tiptoed toward the door, not breathing until he heard the lock _click. _His mom definitely wouldn't be too thrilled that he was sneaking out past curfew.

_Whoops. _

_-FFFFFFF-_

He knew he and Puck were friends for a reason.

Checking around first, just to make sure there weren't any homeless dudes spying on him or something, Finn reached up to grab the key hidden behind the doorframe. Besides getting to spend time with Katie, one of the other perks of being Head Coach was total access to the park's Field House. Puck went ballistic when he found out Finn got a key and everything; now they'd have their very own _man cave_. Finn didn't see anything so great about it at first, until Puck had proposed hoarding the _stash _in there. Then he thought it was pretty awesome.

Creeping in stealthily – he felt kind of like James Bond, _awesome _– Finn grabbed the dark blue backpack from underneath the broken floorboard, noticing it felt a little lighter than last time. _Damn it, Puckerman. _He quickly hid the evidence and snuck back out, smiling happily as he jumped up on the roof and leaned back.

He always thought he looked a lot cooler nursing a beer between his hands like this. It was kind of tool-ish just sitting on top of a roof pretending to think about stuff. He hardly ever even finished one, but no one needed to know that; he liked it this way.

He should have known it was all too good to be true. The gods had it out for him or something, he was sure of it.

Why else would Rachel Berry be swinging on the swing set just yards away from him?

The guilt came flooding back in a dizzying rush, and Finn kind of thought his life might just suck big time. Couldn't this girl just go back to wherever she came from, instead of slowly making his life a living hell? No one had ever gotten under his skin this much, or taken over his _mind_ like this… He was kinda nervous – was he going crazy? Was this how he was going to die, drop dead by a fit of Rachel-induced thoughts? That seemed even scarier than a gunshot.

Tapping back into his 007 craftiness, Finn slithered off the roof like a snake and carefully dragged his bag with him. She couldn't hear him, he'd make sure of it. If she did, Finn was pretty sure he'd be walking home with the biggest headache of his life, trying to figure out how bad her insult was supposed to sting. There were only about ten yards between him and the exit, but the distance seemed to stretch out for miles. Finn knew his life was hanging by a thread at this point, and nerves were starting to get the best of him.

Sucking in a breath, savoring it like it could just be his last (it very well _could _be), Finn swung the knapsack over his shoulder and slowly creeped forward. Bad idea. He felt the hairs stand all over his body when the spotlight from the field house lit up, creating a spotlight on him that would surely attract Medusa's attention.

_Son of a… _

"Finn?"

He could feel himself quickly turning to stone as the bag dropped from his shoulder, his eyes bugging like a deer caught in headlights. Slowly to assure her he meant no harm, Finn inched around to face her, hands slightly extended. He felt like an idiot for being such a wuss, but this girl seriously scared the crap out of him. He'd gladly take Puck over Rachel any day.

"Um, hi," he called, watching as her swinging stilled and she cocked her head at him curiously. He guessed he couldn't really get away with just that. Reaching down to retrieve his fallen bag, Finn breathed in shakily and made his way over to her, all the while eyeing her movements for anything suspicious. He didn't peg her for the hit-and-run type, and there weren't any visible weapons around…

Maybe…maybe he'd be okay?

Okay, maybe not.

"Hi," she said when he approached, ducking her head from his gaze. He was glad for that; he was petrified to look her in the eye. He did notice though that she seemed kind of…shy. That was odd. A full minute passed and she hadn't even made her first insult. Something was definitely up.

The silence was totally awkward, and Finn needed something to fill it. He hated situations like this. "What are you doing here?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I could ask you the same question," Rachel murmured, but Finn noted that it wasn't snippy. She looked kind of tired, maybe a little lonely. He knew the feeling, but he wasn't about to empathize with Chucky's bride.

Finn shuffled on his feet uncomfortably, wondering how rude it would be if he just walked away. Probably pretty awful, and then Katie would find out somehow and kill him herself. Girls were crazy like that.

Rachel still hadn't said anything and Finn was starting to wonder why. He should probably take it as a godsend, but instead it sort of made him more anxious. He wasn't quite sure how to act when she wasn't being all mean and hostile toward him. She looked back up at him, and his throat felt a little dry when he saw how different she looked. No scowl, no piercing stare; just a small, shy smile. He thought it was kinda pretty.

"Would you like to sit?"

_No, no, no, no, NO…_

Finn gulped. "Uh, sure…"

* * *

She'd no idea why she did it. Later she'd blame it on sleep deprivation, or teenage insanity, but right now, she hadn't a clue.

She should have known Finn wouldn't want to speak to her; frankly, she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to speak with him either. But she was _sick _of the strange tension and pointless vendetta they seemed to have developed with one another. Rachel had enough enemies; she didn't need another. Now though, Rachel Berry was painfully stuck in the _one _predicament that she absolutely _detested_ – strained and utter silence.

While the steady _swoosh _of her feet and the swing through the air had comforted her before, now it did nothing to soothe the discomfort churning in her stomach. Rachel Berry hated keeping quiet – it was like she had this incessant _need _to speak her mind and thrust her opinions onto others. Finn seemed perfectly contented to just sit there and swing aimlessly, and it was driving her _insane. _With each pump of his giant feet through the air, the urge to just _scream_ suffocated her more and more.

Finally she couldn't take it, this unbearable quiet threatening to drive her into the nut house. She was going to say _something, _even if it was physically painful to push the words past her lips. She cleared her throat uneasily and Finn looked toward her, brow raised and waiting. She almost lost her nerve.

"I'm," she swallowed, the word getting stuck on her tongue. She tried again. "I'm sorry I've been such a –"

"Bitch?" Finn tried, his tone annoyingly nonchalant. Outrage and disbelief marred her features and she shot him an ugly glare. His eyes bugged, and he quickly ducked his head toward the ground.

"I was _going,"_ Rachel started again, glare still intact. "…to say a 'nuisance.'"

"Oh," Finn muttered, seeming entirely unrepentant. "Well, that too, I guess."

Rachel growled; this was a _terrible _idea. This boy _clearly _hated her guts, and he apparently was wholly unwilling to accept her apology. The silence returned with a vengeance and Rachel was sure that in five seconds she was going to rip these stupid swings from their chains. The rocking motion was making her sick.

Slowly his movement in the air, Finn scuffed his feet on the ground and flicked an eye her way. Rachel noticed this, but she was currently in the middle of one of her breathing exercises; she knew that having a diva fit in front of this boy was sure to scare him off for good.

"I'm, um… I'm sorry too," he murmured, and Rachel stopped mid-breath to face him head-on. He turned his away from her, fingers picking at the rusty paint on the bars while avoiding her gaze. "You know, for bein' an ass and stuff. I'm, uh, I'm not usually like that."

Rachel felt the sharp remark forming in her head but repressed the urge to voice it. She needed to learn that not everyone dealt with her criticisms very well, and she surely didn't need this boy to call her any more names or expletives.

Instead, she swallowed the words that would surely earn her a slap and tried another approach. "Apology accepted."

From the corner of her eye she could see Finn peak over to meet her soft smile. A shy crooked one lifted his lips in return and the cutest, sweetest dimple sprouted from the corner of his cheek. Rachel couldn't help but stare for an extra moment, this strange lump forming in her throat and bringing heat to her cheeks. When she realized the awkwardness had returned she quickly ducked her head, gripping the chains a little harder than before. She felt a little dizzy.

Would it be weird if she asked him to smile again? Would he think she was nuts? That dimpled grin did something strange to her heart, and now she felt it pounding out of control hoping that maybe she could see it again. She noticed though that she wasn't averse to the feeling; in fact, she thought it might be just the opposite. She had this uncontrollable urge to glance over at him every few minutes, and each time she pinched vigorously at her arm to keep her eyes straight ahead. She'd have a major bruise there tomorrow, she was sure of it.

Lost somewhere in this interesting new _Finn _world, Rachel didn't notice when Finn started rustling around in his bag, looking to her as he came back up on the swing.

"You want one?" she heard him ask, and she looked over to see his hand offering her a can of beer.

Rachel adjusted in her seat uncomfortably. "I don't drink," she responded tightly.

"Oh."

Finn retracted his hand awkwardly, twisting the can between his hands as if he weren't sure whether to just open it himself. Rachel had seen countless peers in her life become heavily influenced by alcohol and its _accessories_, and she prided herself on the fact that she of _course _knew better than to participate in something so repulsive. Foolishly tampering with an illegal substance would do nothing but destroy her singing voice and, more important, her _career, _and never would she partake in such hazardous behavior when her lifelong dreams were so close within her reach.

She knew this, yes; but still, she was curious. "What's it taste like?"

She felt Finn shrug beside her. "It's not really that good."

"Then why do you drink it?"

Finn looked up at her like she'd just asked him his gender. She almost smiled at his cluelessness. "I don't know," he answered honestly, cocking his head. "Doesn't everyone?"

Surprised at how easy it was not to scoff coldheartedly at him, Rachel met his eye and spoke much sweeter. Her voice almost came out in a whisper. "Not everyone."

To her amazement she heard a small chuckle deep from Finn's throat, and she looked over to happily see that small smile back as he returned the can to its bag. Saying nothing else, he leaned back comfortably on the seat and swayed quietly. Rachel did the same.

She found that it was nicer just sitting here than worrying over what to say next. Though, that ended much sooner than she would have liked. The awkwardness returned when Finn clumsily slipped on the swing and almost fell forward into the mulch, causing Rachel to grab hastily at his arm to stop the fall. When her fingers touched bare skin, lingering for a moment longer than necessary, she realized that heat in her cheeks was her _blushing, _and the weird tingling in her stomach when he smiled at her thankfully were _butterflies. _

Whoa.

"So, do you look after her a lot?" It was the first thing that came to mind, and Rachel was genuinely curious about Finn and Katie's relationship. She'd never experienced anything like it, and she'd only seen them together from afar.

Finn kicked harder and flew extra high before coming back down with an easy smile. "Who?"

"Katie."

"Oh," he nodded, slowing toward the ground. He scratched at his ear uncomfortably, and Rachel almost regretted the question. "I guess so. Me and my mom, we take care of her. Her mom just sort of, _left_, so… She's kind of like a little sister to me. Well, sort of like a brother, 'cause she's totally a tomboy…just louder and more annoying." Finn laughed quietly to himself and then spoke again. "You know, I think she liked you."

"Really?" Well, that was new. Most people were pretty overwhelmed with Rachel's first impression. She actually kind of doubted the possibility.

"Mmhmm," he nodded, matter-of-factly.

"Well," she muttered, pushing her feet forward as she flew. "That makes one person here."

Finn shrugged, stretching his feet out to reach higher than her. He smiled as she tried to beat his height, and failed. "I don't know if I like you or not," he answered honestly. "I don't really know you."

She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that answer, so she simply nodded. Saying anything else might turn Finn's "I don't know" into a "definitely not", and she was surprised to admit she was scared that might happen.

"So," Finn started, turning toward her with an eyebrow hitched. "Who are you?"

_Huh?_ "Excuse me?"

"Who are you?" Finn repeated emphatically.

Rachel floored a bit. She liked to think she was the kind of person that never hesitated when asked a question, especially one concerning herself. Who didn't know the answer to a question as simple as Finn's? She knew what she wanted; she knew how she'd get there. But Finn didn't seem to care much about those things. She was most likely taking this much too literally, but she really wanted to _think _about her answer. It wasn't every day she was swinging next to a cute boy, after all; she wanted him to like her.

"I don't know what you mean," Rachel muttered, buying herself some time. Somehow she knew telling him about landing her first audition wouldn't get very far.

"I'll start," Finn offered, swaying his feet casually. "Hmm, I'm a pretty simple guy… I'm kinda clumsy – I fall over stuff like, all the time. I have a pet frog named Scooter; me and Katie found him one day when we were diggin' for worms a while back. Uh, I've been playin' the drums since I was five, but I totally don't tell a lotta people that. My favorite color's blue, and ever since I was six I always wanted to be a fireman. Their hats are so cool."

When Finn turned back to her with that crooked grin again, she felt herself start to fall. No, literally – she started falling forwards. She caught herself just before her legs gave out.

"Whoa. You okay there?" Finn laughed, tilting his head forward to meet her eyes.

Exhaling slowly, Rachel tried to laugh too, but it got caught in her throat when Finn's dimple threatened to kill her. Seriously, what was wrong with her? "Yeah, yeah. I just got a little dizzy," she explained, ignoring the strange look she received.

This boy was going to be the death of her. She needed to get herself under control; she was positive Daniel wouldn't be too thrilled if he found out she was swooning over the locals. But her fingertips hadn't stopped buzzing with electricity since she'd last touched him, and her pulse hadn't gone back to normal since he'd first flashed her that crooked grin. She could feel her back starting to sweat and her heart to pound even harder, and she didn't think she'd ever been so scared or wound up in her life.

Finn just smiled again softly and motioned his hand toward her. "Your turn."

"Oh, right," Rachel muttered, cursing herself slightly for getting so distracted. He only _smiled _at her; seriously, she was being so foolish. "Well…" She wasn't really sure what to say, so she spilled out the first thing that came to mind. Truthfully, it was the one thing _always _on her mind.

"I'm going to be a star."

She expected Finn to laugh, maybe call her a dork or insane. She was surprised then to hear his easy reply.

"Cool. What kind'a star?"

She had to swallow a few times before she could form a coherent response. What was going on here? She thought maybe she'd woken up in the Twilight Zone. Everything was wrong – she and Finn weren't supposed to be nice and _civil _toward one another. She'd only had a handful of interactions with him, but she'd quickly learned that the two were _very _different types of people. They didn't mix. They couldn't enjoy simple small talk or joke around like old friends. They shouldn't be able to sit here without mocking one another or going completely insane. This wasn't normal… but then again, Rachel had never been normal, and she had a pretty good inkling that Finn wasn't either. What could _that _mean?

"A Broadway star," she scratched out, then cleared her throat to start again stronger. "Well not just Broadway," she elaborated. "Film, television, recording artist, not to mention multiple award winner in each category… I plan on having a very extensive résumé in order to ensure my legacy. One must be quite well-rounded to succeed in such a demanding occupation as the one I've chosen for myself, but I am more than prepared for the hardships I will unquestionably endure. With no risk comes on reward after all!"

Yeah, she probably should have stopped at _Broadway. _Finn gaped like she'd just declared her plan for world domination. Rachel was merely stating the inevitable. Still, she felt more than uncomfortable under his stare. "What?"

It took Finn an extra moment to gather himself, but he shook his head quickly and his eyebrows knitted together, amused. "Nothing," he chuckled slightly, and Rachel crossed her arms uneasily around herself. "I've just never known someone who had their whole future planned out like that. Or that could talk that fast…"

"Well it's never too early to start living your life, Finn," she announced, smoothing her skirt out calmingly after he'd reverted his gaze. It was making her anxious. She heard him mutter his weak agreement, and turned her head curiously toward him. "What is it that you want to do, Finn?"

He started picking away at the paint again and she noticed he did it when he wasn't sure what to say. She wondered if perhaps she'd said something wrong. "Oh, well, geez," he chuckled awkwardly. "I don't know. I never really thought much about it, ya know? I'll probably just stay close to Lima or something; I can't imagine livin' anywhere else…"

Nodding was about the only response Rachel could muster. She could never understand people who didn't have a goal or a dream for themselves. What else was there to life then, with no desires or aspirations to reach for? Rachel had had her future mapped out since she could _walk, _and she wouldn't let anyone come in her way and stop her.

Before long the sky grew lighter, and Rachel looked up to see the sun just starting to peak out in the dawn. She was fairly certain it wouldn't be smart to sneak in after sunrise, and Rachel wasn't willing to face the wrath of Ruth Berry. Gathering the light sweater she'd taken with her, Rachel stood quietly and looked over to see Finn staring up curiously at her, his eyes innocent. She liked them that way.

"I better go," she murmured, motioning toward the light growing in the sky. Finn whipped his head over to see it as well, and turned back with an understanding nod.

"Me too. My mom's gonna be up for work soon. She'd kill me if she knew I was out right now."

"Okay," Rachel conceded, folding her arms inside her sweater at her chest. She wasn't exactly sure where to leave things, but she was pretty sure nothing would make this any weirder than it already was. "I'll see you around then."

"Yeah…"

She felt his eyes on her as she walked away and Rachel had to fight with herself to keep her nerve. Her legs felt a little wobbly and it would be eternally embarrassing if they gave out on her. _One, two, _she counted to herself, trying ruthlessly to steady her breaths. _Three, four…_

"Hey, wait up!"

_Five... _

Rachel turned to see Finn jogging toward her, offering a quick smile when he finally reached her. _Six, seven…_ "It's pretty late…or, early, I guess… But there're all sorts of wackos around here, and I'd feel really bad if I let you get abducted or something." _What was he getting at? _

"I'll walk you."

_Eight-nine-ten… _This calming thing was _not _working. "Oh, you don't –"

"Come on," Finn motioned, already a few steps ahead of her. He smiled crookedly again, and she gave up the counting. It was no use. "I'm goin' that way anyway."

* * *

The first thing Finn noticed about Rachel – besides her brutal insults and really short skirts – was that she liked to talk, _a lot. _It seemed like she hadn't done it in a while or something, or at least didn't have anyone to actually listen to her. Finn was pretty confused half the time, and most of the words she said he was pretty sure Webster hadn't even thought of yet, but he was so surprised that she was even talking to him at _all _that he pretty much just kept quiet. Sure, he nodded when he thought it appropriate and made sure to make the right faces based on the tone of her voice, but other than that, he had more important things to focus on.

Her hair was like, really shiny. Like, new penny shiny, or juicy apple shiny. He kinda wondered what it smelled like; if it was like apples, he thought he might be obsessed. He noticed she had this pout to her lips when she said something (apparently) upsetting or worrisome, and her eyes got this glossy look to them whenever she spoke about some girl named Barbara. He stopped paying attention then 'cause her last name reminded him of Apple Toaster Strudels, and he was suddenly really hungry.

"So can I ask you something?" Finn asked after a while, shoving his hands deep in his pockets. Rachel had taken to humming quietly to herself, which he was enjoying immensely, but she stopped when he spoke. He almost regretted it, but he really wanted to know.

"Sure, Finn," Rachel smiled slightly. He really liked it when she said his name. He thought by the way she kept addressing him that she might like it too.

Finn cleared his throat and scuffed a rock with his foot. "Well, I mean, you don't really seem too thrilled about being in Lima. I was just wondering why you're here?"

Another thing he noticed – she always seemed to consider her answers really carefully, like she was looking for the perfect words to express herself. He'd have to try that sometime, instead of just blurting out whatever came to mind. Katie'd told him he "lacked the filter" between his thoughts and his mouth, but he just told her it would take too long for him to think first. It was probably true.

"Well," Rachel started after a moment. Her words came out in a jumbled exhale, and Finn had to brace himself to keep up. "My _fathers _don't think New York is providing me with enough of a 'teenage experience', so they thought if I came out here and saw what other people my age were like, that I'd appreciate my choices a bit more." Finn sensed there was more, and he really didn't have a response (he was expecting her to say something simple, like '_my parents are FBI agents' _or '_Aunt Ruth threatened me_'. He should have known…) He was right; she started again after a short breath.

"Honestly, I don't really know. I know they think it's for the best, but I can't help but think that they're trying to delay my dreams so they'll have more time with me or something. It's impossibly frustrating."

Finn nodded in understanding. He knew all about overprotective parents – well, par_ent – _but his mom always told him it was just 'cause she cared. He decided to share the insight with Rachel. "Well, maybe they just want to make sure you've thought it all out. You probably don't think so, but I'm sure they just want you to be happy once all your dreams finally come true and stuff. No regrets, you know?"

He thought he might try to say smart stuff more often, 'cause the smile Rachel gave him after that one freaking _rocked. _He'd try to remember all the big words Katie used from now on.

"Well, this is me," Rachel sighed when they finally reached the Berry's driveway. By now the sun was just sprouting over the horizon and the birds were already chirping loudly in the trees. His mom was totally gonna catch him sneaking home…

Finn could hardly process all they'd talked about in the short walk there, and he didn't really want to say goodnight, or good morning, or whatever. He knew he wasn't the smartest guy in the world, and yeah, he didn't really have much to say most of the time… but Rachel was _really _smart, like freaky smart, and she could sure talk when she wanted to. He thought maybe they could get along pretty well, once they stopped trying to bite each other's heads off. He was ready to move on if she was.

"Okay," he nodded, scratching at his ear uncomfortably. _How _to move on, though, was the question…

Rachel smiled the smile Finn liked the most, the corners of her lips just turning up shyly, and stretched out her hand. "Truce?"

_Thank God… _Grinning easily, Finn wrapped his giant hand up in her tiny one, returning the gesture. "Truce," he agreed, overemphasizing the shake as she laughed.

"I'm sure I'll be seeing you and Puck around," Rachel said, pulling away and taking a step back toward the house. "He can't seem to get enough of me…"

Finn laughed, watching her back away with a smile. "Right, Puck… he's really not that bad of a guy, once you get to know him. You've just gotta feel him out."

"That's exactly what I _don't _want to do," Rachel chuckled, her tone teasing. He felt like this was an entirely different girl in front of him, and he couldn't help but smile again.

"Right," Finn agreed with a nod, peaking up to see Rachel already at the front door. Well, that was it, he guessed. "So I'll see ya?"

Her laugh was the only sound within miles and it echoed on his eardrums. He didn't mind one bit. If her laugh was that pretty, he couldn't imagine how she sounded when she sang. "Goodnight, Finn," she called, reaching around for the handle.

"Good morning!" he called back, flashing a final smile before he watched her retreat inside.

It was weird – this light feeling he had in his stomach as he walked home. He guessed it was 'cause the guilt was gone; he'd apologized, and shown Rachel that he wasn't some sort of nasty jerk, so he didn't have to blame himself anymore.

Happily he thought maybe once he told Katie this, she'd cut him some slack. As soon as the thought entered his mind though, he decided maybe he shouldn't tell her. He was pretty sure she'd bust him like no other, going on about that _Notebook _movie and how Finn was _in love _now. He didn't really wanna hear it to be honest, and he decided for once, Katie couldn't possibly know what she was talking about.

After all, Rachel Berry had her whole future planned out, and Finn Hudson couldn't possibly fit too.


	5. Let's Talk About Love

**A/N: A million times sorry for the wait! Next one will HOPEFULLY be up soon, no promises though! It was my birthday yesterday (woo, officially 17!) so my friends are taking me for a concert tonight and I'm totally late! Hope you like this one, it's a bit of a filler but extra long 'cause I made you wait :) **

**Review!**

* * *

"**Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn down your house, you can never tell." ****- Joan Crawford**

_He was having the _best_ dream. _

_He wasn't even quite sure where he was, or _when_ he was, or if he even cared. All Finn knew was that he was pretty sure he never wanted to wake up._

_He was sitting on a swing, like he'd done just hours before, and Rachel was there. Except this time, she wasn't just sitting next to him. No, this time, this time Rachel was sitting _on_ him. Arms wrapped snugly around her tiny waist, Finn breathed in and __**oh god**__, he smelled it – that apple scent he was sure she'd possess, the one that could literally roll his eyes all the way into the back of his head. Finn wasn't sure why, but Rachel was laughing, the sound flowing through his ears like wind chimes and making him smile in return. Her whole body shook and it was doing strange things to his own, and _dangerous_ things, he realized, as she was perched right on top of the very part of his anatomy that was reacting the _most_. _

_Before he even had time to care though, Finn felt Rachel turn to face him and his whole body fell limp under her beautiful gaze. Her big brown eyes bore into his with a passion and a warmth he'd never known and Finn was pretty sure he was being hypnotized. His head felt fuzzy and dizzy and he had to grip extra hard on the chains to keep them both upright. Rachel seemed to like it when he squirmed, because that smile on her lips curved up slyly and she ran her hands from his stomach to his chest, so slow and sexy Finn thought he'd burst right there. Without a word, Rachel took two fistfuls of Finn's shirt, gaze locked longingly on his lips as she licked her own, and Finn wondered if perhaps he'd swallowed his Adam's apple. Something was lodged in his throat and no matter how much he gulped, it wouldn't go away. He really hoped it would, 'cause he really wanted to kiss her and he didn't think he could do that when he thought he might just be dying. _

_Her tiny fingers started poking in Finn's chest but he couldn't really focus on that right now, not while her moist, pink lips were inches away from his own. He licked his dry ones hungrily and ran a finger up her arm, watching as goose bumps rose under his touch. Smiling to himself, he repeated the action across her collarbone, his stomach clenching when she gasped out his name. He couldn't hold himself together for much longer._

"_Finn," she murmured again, and he looked up into her eyes to see _fire_ there. Behind the delicious brown there was such passion that he felt like maybe he was on fire too. He couldn't help it; his thumb ran up along her jaw and slid past her cheek, reveling in the softness of her skin and the blaze it ignited in his bones. Lightly, _so lightly that it hurt_, Finn grazed the pad of his thumb against her plump bottom lip, wondering if it would taste as good as it felt against his skin. _

_When could he find that out?_

"_Finn," she repeated, and this time it was more urgent. He wondered if she was falling apart as much as he was; from the way her fingers were poking harder into his chest, he assumed that she was. It was actually starting to hurt a little, but he wouldn't dare tell her that. The way she was saying his name and the amazing look she was giving him were enough to make him forget everything and anything else in the universe. _

_That is, until she let out a bloodcurdling scream and punched him _hard_ in the stomach. _

_What the…._

"_Finn!" _

Finn's eyes shot open faster than he could blink and he immediately regretted it. Sunlight streamed in from his bedroom window and his eyes strained to fight it, to no avail. He rubbed hastily at them and tried to sit up when he was painfully reminded of the pounding in his stomach.

"'Bout time you got up, you lazy butt. I thought you were dead."

_Ugh. _Finn let out a long groan, then another as he felt Katie bounce painfully atop his stomach. Well, he now knew why it was _throbbing. _

"Come on, you bum!" she shouted, banging her fists against his ribcage. The kid could throw a punch. "Get up! It's _noon. I've _been up for four hours already!"

Finn grumbled incoherently, batting her hands away from his gut. "Good for you," he muttered, his head lolling sleepily to the side.

"Finn!" she finally yelled, pulling his eyelids open with her tiny fingers. "Please get up, please please please please _please!_"

_Well if she was gonna beg about it…_

"Alright, alright," Finn groaned, rubbing at his eyes before pushing himself into a sitting position. "I'm up." His head kind of hurt and he wondered if maybe last night had just been a result of one too many beers. He frowned at that; did that mean Rachel still hated his guts? That would really suck…

Katie smiled widely, but it fell from her lips when Finn's head rested in his hands. "What's wrong with you?" she asked tactlessly. Finn almost smiled at her forwardness. Her little nose scrunched up at him and her hands rested firmly on her hips. "What time did you go to bed?"

_Uh oh…_ Finn gulped; he'd have to pull out the big guns for this. He was never a good liar, but lying to _Katie _– that was a task some of the best liars in the _world _couldn't pull off. She eyed him suspiciously and Finn was starting to wonder if she didn't already know.

"You know, pretty late," he muttered, hoisting himself off the bed and rummaging around the floor for a shirt. He found one that looked pretty clean, gave it a sniff, and tossed it on before making his way out the door.

Maybe Katie would just let it go.

Of course she wouldn't. Finn could hear little footsteps racing down the hall after him and he pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. It was too early for this.

"How late's pretty late?" Katie prodded, somehow now at his side.

"I don't know," Finn groaned, stalking down the stairs. "Like two?"

Katie shook her head knowingly, and Finn could feel his cheeks burning. "You're sucha bad liar," she argued, hopping up on the kitchen counter when they entered. "I know for a _fact _it was at least five. You didn't get home 'til _four thirty!_" Finn could feel his eyes bug, but he quickly ducked behind the cupboard to avoid Katie's glare. He knew he would crumble if he didn't. "So, where'd you go?"

What was she, his mother now? Somehow Finn knew voicing that wouldn't fair well for his face, but _seriously._ The kid was hardly seven and she _already _scared the living daylights out of him. Finn didn't want to lie to her, he really didn't, but he wasn't sure he was ready to deal with the incessant talk about Rachel that was sure to follow. He didn't really know how he felt about the whole situation _himself_, and that dream kinda threw him for a loop. Sure, Rachel was hot, and when she wasn't being a bitch she was actually kinda nice to talk to, but… he didn't know what came next, and before he did, he didn't think telling Katie would be the best idea.

"I, uh," Finn stuttered, rummaging through the cabinets distractedly. "I went for a walk, couldn't sleep."

"_And?"_ How could she _possibly _know there was more to that story?

"And nothing," Finn grumbled, shoving half a PopTart in his mouth. "Didn't you say we have somewhere to be?"

"_Ugh,_" she griped, tossing an apple at his head. Finn turned and caught it with a smirk. Another thought of Rachel came to mind and he closed his eyes and smiled again; last night was _definitely _real. Vaguely Finn could hear Katie scolding him for something, but he couldn't really care right now. Just as he was sure a knife would come flying his way, he heard the front door open and footsteps marching toward the kitchen.

"Noah!" Katie called, jumping off the counter with the widest smile she had.

Finn was always surprised at how well-behaved Puck could be when _little ears _were around. "Hey squirt," he grinned, walking over to give Katie their customary handshake. Finn had tried to learn it a few times, but it was a little too complicated for him. "How's my favorite midget?"

Katie's smile was a mile wide and Finn had to hide his snort behind the refrigerator door. He decided to give her a bit of her own medicine. "Yeah Kat, how are you now that _Noah's _here?"

Finn was pretty sure his hair was on fire after that glare she gave him. Shooting him her nastiest scowl, Katie quickly turned it into a sweet smile and offered it to Puck. Puck just looked confused – it only made it that much better that Puck had no clue of Katie's crush on him.

"I'm great, Noah!" she announced with confidence, effectively ignoring Finn's existence. _Good, _he thought. _Maybe she'll stop bugging me now._

Puck hoped up on the counter with Katie again and sank his teeth into an apple. "So what's on the agenda for today?"

Katie perked up. "Finn promised to take me for some new cleats. You can come with us, Noah," she offered with a shy smile.

Finn chuckled behind the milk carton. "Or you two can just go alone?" he proposed, glancing between Puck and Katie. "You know, like a date…"

"Don't you have something to _do, _Finn?" Katie ground her teeth. The kid looked like steam should be coming out her ears. "Like maybe sing that Katy Perry song you like so much?"

…

"Dude?" Puck balked.

Finn blanched, taking a defensive stance. "What? That _California Girls _is kinda catchy… Don't look at me like that." He shot Katie a fierce look and she smiled at him. The little booger…

Puck shook his head, officially creeped out. "Whatever you say, dude. _Anyway, _I have like, the best news ever." When both Katie and Finn said nothing, Puck took it as his cue to continue. "You know Berry, smokin' hot bikini girl?"

_Shit. _What did he know? Finn gulped down a massive chunk of PopTart and avoided Puck's gaze at all costs. If he somehow knew about what happened last night he'd die. Instead of saying anything, Finn just nodded. He didn't like where this was going.

"Well," Puck began with a wicked smile. "I was down buyin' dip today when she was runnin' down the street in these freakin' _amazing short_ shorts. And I was all like 'Hey baby!'. And she was all 'Ew.' You know, playin' hard to get. Well anyway, we got to talkin', kind of, and…" He looked around to make sure his audience was enthralled, which in fact they were. Finn found his stomach tightening a little at the mention of '_short shorts' _and '_got to talking'_, and Katie just seemed interested in anything Puck had to say. Puck smiled, finishing his story excitedly. "Well, I'm pretty sure she wants me."

Finn choked a little on his breakfast. "How-how d'you figure?"

"Well, she totally checked out the guns. But I mean, who wouldn't, right? And when we were leaving, she only scoffed like, twice. I'm movin' up, dude!"

Katie scowled, her lips sneered upward. "What's so special about this Rachel Berry girl?"

Finn shot Puck a glance to keep himself _reserved. _He knew the copious amounts of remarks that could come spewing from Puck's lips and he didn't really feel like having to explain those things to Katie. Plus, he'd totally get in trouble for it. His mom hadn't been very pleased when Katie went running up to her asking about motorboats and why Puck kept talking about them.

Needless to say, he'd lost his Xbox for a week.

Puck scoffed good-humoredly. "What's _not _special about her?" he retorted, producing a drawn out eye roll from Katie. Finn was thinking the same thing, but he was pretty sure he and Puck weren't exactly in the same mind set, so he kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to start spilling stuff like "swings" or "skirts" or "holy shit her hair smells like apples". That'd definitely be bad.

Puck didn't seem to notice that no one really cared about what he had to say. That seemed to happen a lot. "I mean, come _on. _Anyone who turns down the Puckmeister has obviously got some spunk, and Puck _likes _spunk… well, that and a nice rack."

Katie frowned. "What's a _rack?_"

Finn spoke up quickly, shooting Puck a deadly glare. "Of ribs… listen Puck, maybe it's not sucha good idea to keep buggin' her, you know? What if she like, goes all psycho and kills you for stalking her?" In truth, Finn thought maybe he could just trick Puck to stay away from her. He didn't know what would happen with Rachel, but he did know that he wanted to keep his options open.

"Dude," Puck scoffed, puffing his chest out. "We live in Lima, not Cleveland."

_What the hell does that mean?_

"And anyway, I'm already pullin' out all the stops." Puck's eyebrow rose suggestively and Finn grew a little leery. That was never a good look. "I invited her to Quinn's party tonight."

"_What?" _

Both Finn and Katie shouted out in unison and Puck jumped back a little. Finn looked over to see Katie with her feet planted firmly on the ground, hands on her hips and dangerous frown all over her face. She looked _pissed, _to say the least. That kinda scared him more than Puck's creepy eyebrow.

"_Why_?" Katie spat, looking right up into Puck's face. He shrunk back a little.

"Weren't you listening? 'Cause she's hot!"

Finn heard Katie growl menacingly, but he had bigger things to worry about. First of all, he didn't like Puck talking to Rachel, or flirting with Rachel, or thinking about her rack. _He _wanted to do that.

_Wait… he did? Huh._

Second, he'd totally forgotten about Quinn's party. It was like, tradition to her and her Cheerio dimwits. Finn wouldn't mind it so much had Quinn not set her sights on him recently. Sure, she was pretty, and he'd heard that that "celibacy club" thing was a total act, but he just wasn't interested in hearing about cheerleading formations every time they were together. He wasn't the smartest guy out there, but it seriously threatened his intelligence when she droned on about cartwheels and splits and stuff. Like he said, he didn't have so much smarts to begin with; he didn't have a lot to spare.

"I don't think I'm gonna go," he finally muttered, and Puck and Katie stopped arguing to see if he was serious. He scuffed his feet uncomfortably but tried to stand his ground.

Puck finally smirked. "Dude, you're going."

_Oh, like that just settled everything?_ "I don't think so," Finn disagreed gently. "I'm tryin' to steer clear of Quinn lately. I haven't called her back yet and I'm kinda afraid she might try and kill me or something."

"What, were you watching _Saw _last night?" Puck scoffed. "No one's gonna kill you! You're going. Stop bein' a pansy."

"I'm not!" Finn really didn't feel like arguing about this. So what if he didn't want to go? Puck seemed pretty set on hitting on Rachel all night anyway; Finn wouldn't be much company as it was.

"Yeah, you are," Puck countered. His face sorta dropped and Finn softened, just a little. He knew what would happen next – Puck would ask him for something, _sincerely, _and he'd cave. _Damn it, why was he sucha girl?_

"Would'ya just go? I'm gonna need someone to bail me out if that Rachel chick's hittin' hard again. Please?"

_So much for standing strong… _Finn glanced quickly from Puck to Katie, taking in her clenched fists and deep-set scowl with a confused frown, before throwing his hands up in defeat and closing his eyes.

"Yeah, fine I'll go," he deflated, trying to look at the bright side of this. For starters, Rachel would be there, and maybe she'd wear that pink flower shirt again. That would definitely make the whole thing worthwhile. And maybe he'd get to talk to her again, or listen to _her_ talk again. He wanted to know everything he could about her, so that maybe next time he saw her he'd have something somewhat intelligent to start out with. He found himself kind of excited now, this new prospect of seeing Rachel making the burden lighten considerably. He wondered if maybe this time he could get close enough to smell her hair; if it didn't smell like apples, would she be offended if he bought her some apple shampoo? That wasn't creepy, was it?

"You boys are incredibly juvenile!" Finn heard Katie yapping, breaking his haze of Rachel thoughts.

"Says the six year old…" Puck chuckled. Bad idea. Katie looked sorta like that Jigsaw dude. Not good.

Ears turning beat red, Katie stomped her foot _hard _on the ground before screeching at the top of her lungs, "I'm _seven... and a HALF!" _and stalking out of the room.

Puck flicked a thumb to where she'd just stormed out. "What's her deal?"

Finn shrugged. "Dunno, PMS probably."

"_Finn!"_

Puck and Finn shared a look.

_Girls…_

* * *

Rachel Berry was _nervous._ Like knees shaking, palms sweating, I'm-about-to-puke kind of nervous. She didn't even get like this before she performed; she thought perhaps she had developed an aneurism. She was feeling incredibly ill.

When Puck had invited her she immediately took it as a ploy to gain her affections, so of course she _politely _declined his offer. That is, until she considered the benefits of the affair. With each persuasion Puck attempted Rachel felt her will crumbling, and then he'd said the one thing that broke her:

"_Come on, I'm not the only one there you'll know. Finn'll be there too!"_

Well, she was sold.

She hated acting like some sort of lovesick school girl – Rachel Berry had morals, and she wouldn't stoop so low as to silently crush over a boy she'd met hardly two weeks before. Well, she guessed her morals didn't take so well to Finn Hudson, because it seemed they decided to up and leave the moment she met him.

Rachel found herself in a panic. After considering just what this night meant _exactly, _she'd sprinted back to Aunt Ruth's and flew to her bedroom, already ripping through drawer after dresser drawer for the perfect outfit. It was at that point she realized that perhaps her wardrobe needed serious revamping. Why did it seem _all _of her shirts had some sort of paw print on them? Even more, what was she doing with a unicorn sweater? Maybe this is what her few friends in New York were talking about when they said she looked like an old lady… humph.

The clock was nearing six and Puck had told her to be there for seven. Rachel made it a point to be fashionably late for these sorts of events. She liked to make an entrance, and when meeting new people, she needed her first impression to be, well, impressive. She still had nothing to wear, absolutely no clue where this _Quinn's _house was, and each time she looked in the mirror, it seemed she kept finding something else wrong. First she'd spotted a faint red blemish on her cheek that she was sure would be a pimple in the matter of seconds; it now looked like she was growing a third eye from all the poking and prodding she was doing to it. Then she'd caught sight of her legs and almost screamed. They looked about the size of a hippo's and were so impossibly short for her body that she felt like Tiny Tim. Finally she couldn't see anything anymore because her nose had seemingly taken up the entire mirror, and she buried her head in her pillow, screaming until Aunt Ruth came rushing in to check that she hadn't spotted a mouse.

_Did that mean there were mice here? Ew._

"What is it sweetie?" Aunt Ruth puffed out, apparently wholly spent from the three-second trip up the stairs. "Are you alright?"

"No!" Rachel groaned into the pillow, true to form. "I look like a troll and my nose belongs in a comic strip! There is no possible way I can show myself in public tonight."

Rachel felt the bed sag a little, and Aunt Ruth's hand came up to stroke her hair calmly. "Can I ask where you planning on going?" she asked softly.

Rachel sniffled a little, turning to face Aunt Ruth shyly. She somehow knew her Miss Priss attitude wouldn't get very far with her. "A boy in town invited me to a party tonight," she explained.

"Who's party might that be?"

"I think he said her name was Quinn." She remembered because it rhymed perfectly with the boy she dreamed about.

Aunt Ruth nodded again, like she expected it. "The Fabray's," she clarified, small smile on her lips. "Lovely family, lovely girl. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. Why is it that you don't want to go again?"

Rachel shrugged, picking aimlessly at the elegant comforter. She didn't really have a good reason. She'd pretty much convinced herself at this point that that mirror must have just been a carnival mirror or something; she knew her nose was big, but it wasn't _that _big. "I just don't think I'll fit in." That was partially true, she guessed. She wasn't like these people; Finn had made that painfully clear.

Aunt Ruth burst up with a smile, already making her way to the door. "Sure you will!" she exclaimed. "Wait here just one second."

Rachel eyed her curiously as she practically skipped out the door, coming back just a moment later with a bright pink shopping bag in hand.

"I was out shopping today when I saw this in a store window," she explained, pulling out a simple white sundress from the bag. "I just _had _to buy it. It would look positively _stunning _on you."

Rachel smiled up at her, hoping she could see the appreciation in her eyes. No one – besides her dads – ever really bought her anything just _because, _and something like this, something between _girls, _was a nice change for once. She almost felt like a daughter receiving a gift from her mother; it was one of the best feelings she'd thought she ever had.

"Well," Aunt Ruth announced, a wide smile in place. "Try it on!"

If it weren't for Aunt Ruth, Rachel knew she wouldn't have left her room that night. The dress was perfect – spaghetti straps that tied atop her shoulders, flowing down past her knees and elegant lace flower patterns strewn across the skirt. It was simple, but it was beautiful, and it made Rachel feel the same. Aunt Ruth helped with her hair, curling it slightly and pulling some back in a clip; and she'd even dug out some of her _softer _makeup and splashed some on Rachel's eyes and cheeks as well. Rachel almost felt like she could cry. She felt like a princess.

It was nearing eight o'clock by the time the two finished and the sun had already set in the sky. "You look gorgeous, sweetie!" Aunt Ruth exclaimed, twirling Rachel happily in front of the mirror while she laughed. She had to admit – she did think she looked pretty…what was it that Puck had called her? Hot? Yes, she guessed she looked kind of, _hot. _

Rachel smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I couldn't have done this without you."

Aunt Ruth smiled back in return. "Don't even mention it, hunny. Now," she shook her hands excitedly in hers. "Go show those boys what they've been missing."

_Oh, she planned on it._

_-RRRRRR-_

Rachel felt like perhaps she'd walked into an episode of _The OC_, but instead of being shot on the beach, it was in a cornfield.

She wasn't even sure there were this many _people _in Lima, let alone _teenagers. _The Fabray house rivaled Aunt Ruth's in size, and they easily had a few good acres of land surrounding it. Rachel Berry liked to think she wasn't intimidated easily, but this was something else. Hoards of teenagers crowded the front lawn and filled the back, each holding those customary red cups all the partygoers seemed to have. Rachel always wondered what was in them, but judging from the three girls hurling over in the corner, she knew it wasn't something she'd like to indulge in.

Trying her hardest to keep her head high, Rachel strutted past a group of obviously intoxicated men and made her way toward the backyard. Some sort of obnoxious rap music flooded from a set of speakers on the deck and she could hardly hear herself think it was so loud. She hated parties like this. If she was being honest, she wasn't expecting Lima to have these sorts of things. It seemed like such a wholesome little town, but judging from the girl doing a keg stand to her right, appearances didn't hold much ground here.

"Rachel! Hey!"

In any other circumstance Rachel would have tensed hearing Puck calling to her, but at that moment she really didn't care who it was, as long as it was _someone _she knew. She was almost about to leave. When Puck reached her, she could already smell the alcohol lingering on his breath but decided to ignore it. Maybe he could lead her to Finn.

"Hello, Puck," Rachel called over the music, warily watching as his glazed eyes drank her in. She shifted her weight uncomfortably. "You seem to be having a good time."

"You have _no_ idea," he slurred, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her toward the deck. With each step they took Rachel could feel Puck's hand sliding down further and further, and each time she not-so-subtly elbowed him in the side. She was pretty sure he was so drunk he didn't even notice.

Scurrying past crowds of people, they made it to the end of the back deck, where it appeared the _Populars _had assembled. It didn't take her two guesses to figure out which one Quinn Fabray was. She'd seen enough of those cliché movies – Quinn Fabray was o_bviously _the blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty with the flock of guys waiting on her every whim. She eyed her precariously as Puck guided her toward the crowd, like Rachel were some sort of plague and she'd come to infest them all. Rachel could sure give an icy glare, but this girl had her beat, _hands down._

"Puck!" Quinn called, hinting them over with the flutter of her fingers. Puck wrapped his arm tighter (if possible) around Rachel's waist and pulled them forward.

"Quinny baby! How are ya?" Puck called. Clearly this boy couldn't hold his liquor. Rachel was pretty sure he was holding onto her just to keep himself upright.

Quinn rolled her eyes scathingly at him and set her sights on Rachel. "Who's this?"

Well, she's direct, she'd give her that.

Before Rachel could speak up, she felt a big, warm hand touch her bare shoulder and she couldn't help but shudder. As she turned, her eyes soaked in that same 6'3" body she'd been obsessing over since the night before, and suddenly she felt herself getting lost in that fantastical scene where eyes lock and sparks fly and hearts pound out of control. Rachel was pretty sure it was only happening because she'd convinced herself it was, but still, it was a wonderful feeling. She thought she'd like to get used to it.

"Rachel," Finn finally said, giving her that crooked grin she liked so much.

"Hi Finn," she answered politely. She was too caught up in him to say anything else. He was wearing a navy blue shirt with white stripes, and though she was pretty sure she'd already seen him wearing it before, she couldn't deny how handsome it made him look. His cheeks looked a little rosy and his eyes seemed to sparkle, but she wondered if perhaps it was just her imagination. Rachel wanted to drink in as much of him as she could, and she reveled in the fact that he seemed to want the same of her.

"_Hello? Still standing here?"_

So Rachel didn't know this Quinn girl very well, but she knew that she didn't like her so much.

"Right, sorry Quinn," Finn muttered. Moment ruined. Turning to her warily, Finn handed her a cup and Rachel watched as she wrapped her arm up in his. Her heart pounded a little and she tried not to stare, but she couldn't help it. Were the two of them, an _item _or something?

Rachel thought she got her answer when Finn peaked down at Quinn's arm in his confused grimace, one that seemed to go unnoticed, or at least overlooked, by Quinn.

"So how do you two know each other?" Quinn spoke up. Her voice was clearly coated with sugar, but evidently that sugar was _poisonous. _

Rachel had dealt with these types of people before; in fact, most _all _of the theatre people she came in contact with were like this. In other words, she knew how to handle herself. She didn't know this girl, and Rachel Berry would not allow _anyone _to walk all over her. She reminded herself of that when she felt her palms sweating under Quinn's venomous glare.

Finn stole a glance Rachel's way, clearly trying to figure out how to answer Quinn in the most appropriate way. What could they even say? _Well, when we were swinging last night… _That sounded _great. _

"Um, we, uh…" Finn really needed to work on his deliveries more. "We met from Ruth! Ruth Berry? She's Rachel's aunt."

_Nice save, Finn. _Rachel shot him a contented look and he returned it with that semi-crooked smile he was famous for. Just when she got her pulse under control too… She couldn't look away from him. He was apparently magnetic for her, because each time he caught her stare she felt compelled to catch her lips in his as well. What was _that _all about?

From the menacing scowl on her pretty little face, Quinn was wondering the same thing.

"Well, why don't you go get a drink, Rachel? Make yourself comfortable."

_Yeah, that sounded really sincere. _Rachel was honestly a little frightened that the drinks were made of venom or something. This girl was certainly not a fan of hers.

Finn spoke up before she could though and stepped out of Quinn's death grasp. "I'll get it for you!"

"Oh, you don't –" Rachel started to warn him about the poison but he was already gone. _Great, now I'm alone with the beast. _

Ignoring Quinn Fabray proved much harder than Rachel had imagined it would be. The girl could seriously make you feel about the size of an ant just by being in your presence, and that was something Rachel did _not _want to get used to. The minutes ticked by like hours and she suddenly wished she just hadn't come.

Puck was nowhere to be found; Rachel realized this when no one was groping her anymore. Looking around, she caught him nuzzling some girl's neck by the pool, and she almost had to laugh. Some boys never learned.

"Here you go."

She froze. Warm breath splashed across her bare shoulder and she resisted the urge for her eyes to flutter closed. She could smell the faint waft of aftershave and another musky one she couldn't place, but it would soon come to be exclusively known as _Finn. _His tall body could wrap her up in one arm, and his presence behind her had her leaning back reflexively, testing the theory. She felt his hand behind the small of her back and smiled up at him, unable to help herself. Her body seemed to have entirely taken over, and she couldn't think about anything else but him if she _tried. _Not that she was trying very hard…

"Thank you," she murmured, just loud enough for him – and apparently Quinn – to hear. Finn grinned back, while Quinn cleared her throat _loudly. _

"So Rachel," she began, eyes appraising her. "Where are you from?"

"New York," she responded proudly, trying to keep her nerve. "The city, in fact. Broadway district."

Quinn nodded primly, looking nowhere near finished. And then, of course, Finn just had to speak up.

"Rachel's gonna be a star."

_Remind her to never tell him anything again._

The smirk Quinn sprouted was enough to make Rachel cower away in embarrassment. She'd _never _felt unsure or self-conscious about her aspirations, but one look from this girl and she suddenly felt like she had the stupidest dreams in the world.

"Is that so?" Quinn asked, seeming to thoroughly enjoy this.

Finn seemed completely oblivious. "Yep," he announced. He almost sounded kind of _proud. _That eased Rachel's tension considerably. "On Broadway. She's gonna win one of those Tony things."

The awe in Finn's voice provoked this strange reaction in Rachel's stomach. It almost felt like it was flipping, and when she looked up to see that smile looking down on her, she felt her whole gut do a somersault. She suddenly could care less if Quinn told her to go crawl in a ditch; Finn was _proud _to know her, and that meant more than she could ever imagine.

"Well, isn't that cute," Quinn sneered, clearly noticing the look Finn was giving to Rachel. Neither really cared much about Quinn anymore, and despite her attempts, Quinn couldn't gain back their attention if she tried. Turning with a _humph, _Quinn downed her cup and tossed it at a clueless looking cheerleader, snapping for another one. How did she have _friends?_

Finn hadn't left her side and Rachel could feel herself floating. Neither said a word, but both understood that they didn't really need to. Nerves were getting the best of her when she felt his body so close against hers, and when he accidently bumped into her, the heat against her skin had her sucking for oxygen. It was cold when he pulled away, and she instinctively stepped back into him. _Much _better.

The smile on his face didn't go unnoticed by Rachel and she had to look away, for fear that her hands couldn't control themselves and somehow got tangled in his hair. They were shaking, and his hand on her back seemed to be doing the same.

So suddenly that she didn't have a moment to prepare, Rachel felt his breath on her neck and her head started to spin. His hand pressed firmer against her back and, _holy hell, _his lips were only inches away.

"Do you wanna walk with me?"

Everything happened so fast that she couldn't even think about the repercussions. That dimple was back and damn it, Rachel knew she couldn't say no even if she wanted to. Checking back to make sure Lord Voldemort was occupied, or passed out, Rachel turned back to him with a winning smile.

"Okay."

* * *

"I'm glad you came." It was the first thing that came to mind. Times like these made him wish he was smart. Smart guys didn't sound stupid when they said stuff like that. Finn did.

If he did though, Rachel didn't seem to mind. Instead she gave him the sweetest smile he'd ever seen and pushed a curl behind her ear. He kinda wished he could've done that. "Me too," she murmured, and Finn felt pretty proud of himself after that.

She looked really pretty, like, holy _crap _did she look hot. That dress looked totally _smokin' _on her and, at the risk of sounding like a total asshole, or Puck, Finn couldn't stop staring at how her legs seemed to go on for _miles. _Her skin looked so soft and silky that he had to shove his hands deep in his pockets to keep from touching it. That'd be totally creepy and he'd definitely earn a swift kick in the 'nads for doing something douchy like that. But seriously, he didn't know how much longer he could help himself. And then there was her hair. Oh _god, _he'd never seen it curly like that before and he kinda wanted to get buried in it. When the wind whipped past them softly he got a slight whiff of her scent, and he decided he didn't care that much anymore if it was apples or not, 'cause whatever it was _freaking awesome. _He wondered idly if maybe this was what it felt like to be on drugs. He'd never tried any, but he thought Rachel Berry might just be more addictive than anyone could know.

"This party seems like a pretty big deal," Rachel aimlessly announced, gesturing toward the growing crowd they were slowly walking away from.

Finn just nodded, unsure how to explain its severity in as few words as possible. "It's sort of an annual thing," he replied. "Quinn throws the _end of the year_ party and everyone gets wasted."

When Rachel laughed slightly Finn decided he could too, and he could feel the mood lighten considerably. He didn't feel so on edge around her, except for when she smiled at him and he felt like he was burning from the inside out. That definitely put him _over _the edge.

"That Quinn girl," Rachel started again after a few moments. "She seems, _nice."_

Apparently she was curious about Quinn. Finn would have expected as much, but how to describe someone as, _nice, _as Quinn Fabray… "I can put it this way for you," he started, smiling a little her way. "There're the jocks, then the Cheerios, and the 'cool by association' kids – mainly assholes or a random jock's girlfriend. They're all popular and everything, but then there's celibacy queen, cheer captain, Quinn Fabray. She's sort of in her own league," Finn finished, chuckling to himself. He still wondered how in the hell those two titles could ever fit in the same sentence.

Rachel smiled slightly and nodded. "Are you, are you two friends?"

He shifted a little and gauged her reaction cautiously. "I guess you can say that," he murmured, scratching at his ear. "I'm on the football team, so it's sorta expected, you know? But we're not like, BFF's or anything…"

_Oh god, now he sounded like Katie._ He knew he sounded like an idiot too 'cause Rachel started laughing the second he was finished. Her laugh was so infectious though that he couldn't even keep the smile off his lips. It was sweet and genuine and just made him feel all bubbly and happy inside, like he was the most awesome person in the world for getting her to make that sound. He briefly figured that if her laugh was so melodic, hearing her sing must be like, the coolest thing ever.

When her laughter subsided, Rachel looked into his eyes with a smile and Finn gulped his heart back into his chest. "I think she likes you," Rachel murmured, a glint in her eyes.

"I think so too," Finn laughed, smiling back bashfully. He decided to be brave, 'cause he didn't do it very often and something in Rachel just brought it out of him. "She just doesn't get that I'm not interested in her, I guess."

The two stopped walking once they reached the little stream behind Quinn's land, and Finn leaned carefully against the tree bark behind him as he waited for Rachel to speak. Rachel copied Finn's stance and leaned back opposite him, her eyes following his the whole time. It would have been sexy, had his heart not been pounding on his eardrums and his whole body sweating like mad. He really wanted to ask her if she had some sort of super power that made his body want to combust; every time he looked at her it was as if his heart caught on fire.

"Maybe you just need to tell her," Rachel finally spoke, motioning her head toward the house.

Finn laughed silently and tossed a pebble into the water. "Yeah, I doubt she'd like that very much. She isn't exactly the _nicest _girl in the world." That was an understatement; on her bad days, Quinn could make Old Rachel look like Mrs. Clause. When Rachel said nothing, Finn just shrugged. "It's no big deal. She'll get over it, and in the meantime I can just try and ignore her. I've gotten pretty good at it."

Rachel laughed again, and Finn thought it definitely made his Top Three list of _Most Awesome Things_. He opted to try and hear it as much as he could.

"Sounds like a plan," Rachel offered, smiling his way.

It was quiet now, the ruckus of music and chatter drowned out in the distance and a steady calm surrounding the two. Finn kind of liked it – this feeling that he could just _stand _there and not be expected to talk about anything important. He hated that, 'cause he knew he had a limited amount of things he could say and most of them were never really anything special. Rachel, on the other hand, always said stuff that sounded like it belonged in a book. Finn didn't really like to read, but he figured if he could get one of those recordings with Rachel reading to him, he wouldn't mind it so much.

Sometime during their comfortable silence Rachel started to hum, an errant tune that Finn had no idea of, but pretty nonetheless. He realized that that Top Three list was gonna have to be extended, because her humming and that shy, cute little smile she kept shooting his way definitely just battled their way up there. By the end of the summer – if things went his way, and he was _really _hoping they would – Finn was pretty sure this list was gonna be pretty long.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed quiet, but somewhere between smile number forty-three and lip bite number twenty, Rachel spoke.

"What's your favorite color?"

_Huh?_

Finn thought maybe she hadn't meant to say that aloud; sometimes that happened to him. But when he saw her staring at him, expectant look on her face, he realized she was waiting for an answer.

"Um, I don't know what you mean," he answered stupidly. If she didn't doubt his intelligence before, she definitely did now. Who didn't know what their favorite color was?

Surprisingly though, she didn't seem mocking at all; in fact, she gave him cute smile number forty-four. _Sweet. _"It's a thing I like to do," she explained, watching as his eyes followed her fingers through her hair. "To get to know someone. So, what's your favorite color?"

Finn smiled; this could be kinda fun. "Blue," he answered honestly, heart pounding faster at her smile. He decided to play along. "What's your favorite fruit?"

He was really hoping she'd say apples.

* * *

Rachel honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed herself this much, and she and Finn were only _talking. _A brief thought entered her mind of what it would be like to _kiss _him, but a fierce blush fled to her cheeks and she pushed the idea away immediately.

The game went on for a good two hours, questions ranging from _favorite song _to _favorite season _to _favorite superhero _– Rachel didn't have an answer for that last one, though she stuck firm on her argument that Elphaba could _so _be a superhero. She hadn't laughed so much in her whole life, and she was telling Finn things she was pretty sure she'd never openly told anyone. It was kind of frightening, having someone know things about her _she _didn't necessarily like, but then again, it was kind of exhilarating. She found herself _trusting _Finn, and Rachel didn't do that very often.

They'd exhausted ever _favorite _they could think of, but Rachel noticed that Finn didn't seem opposed to continuing the conversation. He talked about Katie a lot, which Rachel found incredibly endearing, and he talked about football. Those two things he seemed very well-versed on, but other than that, he sort of just listened while Rachel splurged on music and Broadway knowledge. He didn't seem to mind at all that they were missing the party; in fact, the few times Rachel had mentioned to go back, he quickly changed the subject, and off they went once again. It wasn't until Finn got a text from Katie reminding him about his curfew that the two realized the time.

"Is it really midnight already?" Rachel asked, surprised that they'd managed to stay away for so long.

Finn nodded, a little glum she noticed, and Rachel had to smile.

"I guess we better go then," she reasoned. Her joints were a little stiff as she heaved herself off the rock she'd been sitting on for the past two hours, and smiled as Finn did the same. Walking back toward the house, the two stayed silent. Rachel kept shooting quick glances his way, and she smiled shyly to herself when she caught him looking too.

"Did you walk here?" Finn finally asked, stopping once they'd reached the deck.

"No, my aunt dropped me off, but I don't think she's about to come pick me up at this hour," Rachel frowned. She really didn't feel like walking all the way back to Aunt Ruth's. She was pretty sure she'd get lost if she tried.

Finn seemed to perk up at that, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Well hey, I can give you a lift, if you want," he offered tentatively. "I mean, I don't have any _Rent _CDs or anything but…"

Was he _trying _to give her a heart attack, or did that smile of his just have that effect on everyone? Rachel didn't know, but with the way her pulse was thumping out of control, she couldn't really care. Nodding shyly, Rachel watched as his eyes lit up, and she thought maybe she had a death wish.

There was no way she could keep her heart under control around this boy.

"Great," Finn exclaimed, his voice loud in the died-down party. "Lemme just go see where Puck's passed out and we can go!"

He was off faster than she could respond and Rachel took advantage of his absence, trying desperately to get her heartbeats back on track. Everything was happening so fast, she really couldn't even tell which way was up anymore.

Finn was back before she'd even counted to sixty, dragging a sleeping Puck over his shoulder with a wicked grin on his lips. "I can't _wait _to get Katie to jump on him tomorrow morning," he explained in a whisper, though she was pretty sure Puck wouldn't be hearing anything for a while.

Rachel just smiled in return, following Finn to his truck and remembering to breathe. It was pretty much all she could do at this point. Rachel watched as Finn popped in a mixed CD, eyeing her carefully as the first song sounded softly from the speakers. Journey's _Faithfully _came flooding through and she smiled in acceptance.

Finn must have noticed her humming along because he cocked an eyebrow her way. "You like this song?"

"Sure I do," Rachel nodded proudly. "Just because I enjoy show tunes doesn't mean I can't appreciate other genres, does it?"

"Uh, no. I guess not," Finn muttered incredulously. Suddenly a small smile twisted on his lips and he turned to her slyly. Her heart faltered.

"Can you sing some of it for me?"

* * *

He totally shouldn't have asked. He probably sounded like the biggest creep and now she was gonna think he was some sort of singing perv or something. But it seemed that Rachel just kept surprising him all night, because instead of screaming like he expected her to do, she just smiled at him cutely.

"Well I would," she started, glancing adorably from the corner of her eye. He really wished he didn't have to watch the stupid road. All he wanted to do was stare at her. "But I don't sing for just _anybody._"

_Of course. _Finn grinned widely and breathed out a chuckle. "Oh, so I'm just _anybody _now?" he joked. "After all I spilled about myself tonight?"

He really needed to chill. He could already feel himself getting like those sappy guys Katie drooled over on that stupid _Two Bush Lake _show she watched. Personally he didn't think it was appropriate for a six year old to watch that crap, but what did _he _know? His mom watched it _with _her. Chicks…

Rachel laughed and that weird stutter thing happened to his heart again. "Sadly you still have a ways to go," she explained as Finn turned the corner to the Berry's house. "It's a privilege to hear me sing and it's not one I give out freely. You'll just have to earn it."

Finn liked the sound of that. If earning it involved any of the ways he was thinking of, he was totally game.

They reached her house much sooner than he would have liked, and he thought that maybe she didn't want to go either. The look she gave him when he glanced shyly her way made his head tingle, and he resisted the massive urge to just reach over there and kiss her senseless. He'd have to learn to control himself with her; there were only so many _get-out-of-jail-free _cards he would get, and he liked to save those up.

Puck broke the moment with a loud snore from the backseat, and though it was awkward, Finn would have to thank him for that. His hand was twitching with the need to touch her and he was pretty close to reenacting his dream all over again. That'd be bad.

"Well, thank you for the ride, Finn," Rachel murmured with a smile, hand reaching for the door handle. "I had a wonderful time tonight."

She looked so serious when she said it that Finn had to smile in return. "I did too," he answered honestly, wishing so badly to tell her that she's the sole reason he went. He didn't though.

"Well, goodnight." Rachel gave him one last smile before jumping down gracefully, and Finn couldn't help himself. Just as she was passing his side of the car, he rolled down his window hurriedly and called out.

"Wait, I got one more question." He had to know. He was pretty sure he wouldn't sleep a wink tonight if he didn't.

Rachel turned with that same sweet smile in place. "Yes?"

He bit back the thought that he was an idiot (though, he knew he was) and just let the words spill out.

"What's your favorite shampoo?"

His breath caught in his throat as he awaited her response and he was praying for her answer. Her grin was wide and sincere as she gave him her short reply. In all honestly, he'd thought maybe he died and somehow wound up in heaven. Her answer was ethereal.

"Apple," she said, and turned back toward the house without another word.

_Sweet. _


	6. It's A Deal

**A/N: **Yay! This update was probably my quickest one yet. I'm really sorry though, this is like, a rare occurrence. I could give you a bunch of reasons why, but life's just so busy lately! And then school's starting in two weeks (ugh) and I still have five and a half books to read (SO not gonna happen, whoops) Fortunately, I'm kind of excited to write the next chapter, so I may _possibly _be able to squeeze it in :)

Hope you guys like this one! More Katie for you all, just because I kind of love her character haha. Please keep reviewing - it makes my whole day :)

**P.S.** This chapter's for **seriousglee, **because she likes this story almost as much as I do :) Thanks for reading, Amy!

* * *

"**Love sought is good, but given unsought, is better." – William Shakespeare **

When Rachel awoke the next morning, she was fairly positive she'd dreamt the whole thing.

Nights like that just didn't happen for Rachel Berry. She didn't get those picturesque moments or those meaningful eye locks from cute boys with to-die-for dimples. She never knew those fierce butterflies in her gut or those crazy sparks flying all around like fireflies on her skin. She'd long accepted that perfect things like those didn't happen for her, or, at least, _wouldn't _happen for her until some point far, far in the future. Like when she'd gotten out of high school, or managed to land her first audition, or took her first step on the big stage… anytime that wasn't _now. _She was always waiting, setting deadlines for her life to begin, for something or someone to sweep in and throw her whole world for a loop. It was always, "_once this happens…" _or "_when I do this…" _Until then, she would wait.

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks then when she discovered that maybe, _maybe _that moment had come.

Who would've thought it'd happen in Lima, Ohio?

The smile on her lips that next morning threatened to split her whole face in two. It wouldn't be erased for _anything, _and when she'd skipped downstairs to greet Aunt Ruth with a bubbly kiss on the cheek, not even the crazy stare from _her _could get these butterflies to quiet down. Rachel didn't know what it was, or where it was going, or even _how _she would get there; she did know, however, that she had changed.

Finn Hudson had changed her.

_Was it possible to fear and yearn for something at the same time?_

Rachel practically pranced through her morning routine, her cheeks never losing their blush and her smile forever in place. She ignored Aunt Ruth's queries about her night out; she knew just talking about it and all its perfection would make functioning all day immediately impossible. She'd very soon discovered that just thinking about Finn made her into an immature, irrational bimbo, and if Rachel Berry wanted to continue to _function, _she'd have to resist splurging in thoughts of him.

That plan would soon be flushed right down the toilet.

She just couldn't help it. Rachel had never, _ever _known a boy like Finn, and she was sure she never would, no matter how far she reached in life. He was sweet, with brown eyes like cinnamon and warm breath like honey against her skin. He was sincere, with his soul-searching gazes and his light, gentle, _heart pounding _touches. He was _sexy, _with that strong, broad chest and those rough hands that she was sure could make her skin catch fire. Rachel knew she fell fast, and _hard _apparently, but she also knew that this was right. Sure, Finn may not be the sharpest tack in the box, and _yeah, _maybe he could learn a thing or two about _tact_, but somehow, Rachel only found those things that much more endearing. He _wasn't _perfect, and Lord knows neither was she. She didn't need perfect. She just wanted _him. _Rachel Berry was perfectly used to intense, but _this…_

This was something else entirely.

She was thoroughly surprised when she didn't get crushed by any cars on her run that morning. Her whole mind was racing in thoughts of a brown-eyed, six foot three quarterback with dimples that made her effectively go weak in the knees; really, just _thinking _about that crooked grin almost caused a three-car pileup.

She certainly didn't appreciate the profanities those drivers yelled at her when they drove away.

It wasn't _her _fault she couldn't focus. She was fairly positive she'd been daydreaming for the past _week_, and last night was just a cruel ploy to drive her prematurely insane. (It was bound to happen sometime, right?) Convincing herself of reality took much longer than she would have liked, and then she squealed like a little girl for a good ten minutes when she redefined _reality _in regards to Finn Hudson.

She weaved without direction through the streets of Lima, making her way blindly into a development on the far side of town. It was a cute little neighborhood, charming with its white picket fences and Finn-look-alike playing basketball with a little girl that sure looked a lot like…

Wait.

Slowing to a slight jog, Rachel hastily wiped at her forehead and tried to salvage her appearance. Yeah, _right._ Finn was holding the ball high above Katie's head, obviously _feet _taller than she was and thoroughly enjoying taunting her. Finally, after what appeared to be a very convincing kick from Katie, Finn lifted her up effortlessly and cheered at the top of his lungs when she threw down a forceful dunk.

If Rachel hadn't fallen for him before, she was in _way _deep now.

She would have just kept running, really she would have. It was just… he was so _cute. _Rachel never showed self-restraint with things she really wanted, and, well, Finn Hudson was slowly – or quickly – becoming something she _desperately _wanted.

Rachel Berry got what she wanted.

"Finn!"

The grin that spread across his whole face when he turned and saw her could have struck her dead. She could already feel those butterflies swarming and making words turn to mush inside her head. He jogged to the edge of the driveway to meet her and she was finding it really hard not to just run straight into his arms.

"Rachel, hi," he breathed, Katie closely in tow. She hid behind his arm a little, not saying a word, but Rachel was a bit too preoccupied with Finn to notice.

"How, um, how are you?" God, could he _get _any more adorable?

"I'm wonderful," Rachel beamed, eyes shining up into his. She couldn't help it. "How are you?"

All this smiling was making her dizzy. "I'm, uh, I'm great too. Katie and me are just playin' around." He motioned behind him toward his little cousin and she didn't seem to be her perky self.

Rachel decided to be a bit friendlier. "Hi Katie," she smiled, peaking behind Finn to show her face.

Katie grumbled something incoherent but, other than that, stayed silent. That was unusual, and also slightly discomforting. Sure, they'd only met once, but first impressions proved Katie to be extremely loquacious and fairly fond of Rachel. Did she really smell _that _bad?

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Finn met Rachel's eyes again and _wow, _they were looking extra dazzling today. "So uh, what're you doing around here?"

_Oh no, he thought she was stalking him or something now. _"Oh, well you see," she muttered, looking around uneasily. She could already feel the words piling up in her head. "I decided to take a run on this beautiful summer morning, and because I'm unfamiliar with the region and had no true destination, I found myself entering, at no fault of my own, your very neighborhood. I was in no way aiming to disrupt your endeavors or create any inconvenience whatsoever. I assure you it was pure coincidence."

_Uh oh. She thought maybe she'd killed him. That baffled look on his face said it all. She'd really done it now._

"Well, cool! Kat and me never mind the company." Maybe he was deaf. That would certainly explain how he never ran the other way when Rachel started talking. She thought maybe they'd get along great if that were the case.

Evidently Katie could hear just fine. Snorting loudly, Rachel heard her mumbling to herself scathingly. "Yeah, like he understood a _word _of what you just blabbed."

Finn nudged her with his elbow but otherwise said nothing about it. "I'm glad you came over," he offered to Rachel instead, and she was pretty positive her heart got lodged in her throat. She wanted to return the sentiment, but apparently the only thing she was capable of producing was an awe-stricken nod. She sincerely hoped that was enough.

Katie tapped Finn on the leg. "Finny, can we get back to our game now? Please?"

Though she knew something was definitely wrong, Rachel decided not to push it right now. Katie reminded Rachel of a very similar version of her younger self – minus the adorable, doting hunk of a cousin – and Rachel had thought that after Finn warmed up to her, Katie might too. Evidently she was wrong.

Finn snuck a glance back at Katie before heaving a sigh. Rachel was glad he seemed reluctant to leave as well. His eyes lit up and he turned to her with a soft smile. "You wanna play, Rachel?" he offered. "It's just horse, there's always room for one more?"

Katie was glaring _hard _at Finn and Rachel knew she wasn't a force to be reckoned with. Resisting the heart racing urge to stay with Finn – though she hadn't a _clue _about how to throw a basket – Rachel shook her head. "It's okay, I should be getting back. I've been gone much too long."

She was _praying _she hadn't imagined that torn look in his eyes. She knew well her hyperactive imagination, but she couldn't begin to fathom something that beautiful. She convinced herself it was real when she noticed Katie simultaneously grinning.

"Alright well, nice t'see ya!" Katie called, already turning her back to Rachel and walking the opposite way.

Finn frowned apologetically and Rachel just nodded slightly. "I'll see you, Finn," she smiled shyly, turning to head back home.

"Tomorrow!" Smiling, Rachel turned back at Finn's outburst. He grinned sheepishly at her before starting again. "I'll, uh, see you tomorrow. Puck and me'll be there in the morning to cut the grass and stuff."

"Is it Wednesday again already?" The boys came once a week, something Rachel was immediately pleased to discover. Well, once she'd gotten over not liking him…

"Mhmm!" Finn beamed. His enthusiasm threatened hers. "So, you'll be around. Right?"

Rachel took a step back. She was too afraid she might jump his bones if she didn't. With one final smile, she nodded shyly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Finn."

Now, how long until _tomorrow?_

* * *

What's a heart attack feel like? 'Cause Finn was pretty sure he was having one.

Damn Rachel Berry and all her short shorts, awesome smile hotness. Puck was right – those things were _crunchy toast. _Finn hadn't quite understood that one at first, but now he was pretty sure he got it.

That combined with his aching need to run his hand through her hair distracted him enough to forget about Katie's attitude. He just needed to _focus. _What was up with that kid though? She'd been fine the rest of the morning, 'til Rachel came along and she got all _Quinn Fabray _on her. Alright, so maybe comparing his little cousin to Godzilla wasn't exactly _accurate, _but, well, she was being mean.

Trudging over to where Katie was dribbling, Finn stole the ball and held it up over his head. "Alright, what's up with you?"

Katie frowned stubbornly and crossed her arms. "What're you talking about?"

"You, being all Cobra Commander on Rachel," Finn elaborated. That one earned him an eye roll, but he didn't really care right now. "Well?"

Katie threw her hands up angrily. "What? It's nothing! I just don't like that Rachel girl, that's all."

That threw him. "Since when?"

"Since…" Katie growled, annoyed. "I don't know, since ever!"

"You seemed to like her a few days ago when you were inviting her places with us," Finn countered.

He'd snagged her, but he was smarter than that to think he'd cornered her completely. "Yeah well, that was different…"

Finn raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"It… Would you just let it go?" she groaned, turning away from him. He walked in front of her to stop her path.

"No, Kat." He wouldn't let up without a fight. "Since when don't you like Rachel?"

"Ugh!" she yelled, heaving the giant basketball over her shoulder and chucking it off the backboard. Clearly, Finn knew how to push her buttons. Her answer though threw him off completely. "Since you and _Noah _got all smitten wit'her and won't shut up! It's gross."

It usually took Finn a while to get stuff; he knew that. Lots of people knew that. But no one was more surprised than him when he got Katie's problem with Rachel in no more than ten seconds.

He should have figured it was about Puck; the kid's crush on him was pretty much the equivalent of Finn's crush on Wonder Woman back in the sixth grade – and that was pretty strong. He just didn't think it'd be that big of a deal. He never knew what to say when Katie got all serious on him, mostly because they never were. He was totally content with just joking and bickering like normal, but of course Rachel would come and turn him to mush and then his best friend would get mad at him. _Sigh…_

"So, you're mad about Puck?" Finn tried, hoping his tone would pacify her a little. He knew Katie could get pretty stubborn about stuff like this and he wasn't prepared to deal with it so early in the morning.

Katie sighed. "I dunno, I guess," she muttered, dribbling the ball distractedly. Finn could tell she just didn't want him to see her face.

That pout on her face always got him; he was such a sucker. He got down on his haunches to meet her at eye level. "Well what don't you know? You know Puck'll always pick you first."

She shrugged dejectedly. "Doesn't seem like it. All he cares about now is stupid Rachel Berry. You too."

Finn frowned. He really didn't want this to turn against him, but he hated when Katie was upset about something. It just bugged him, a _lot. _"Well hey," he said, getting her attention. She met his gaze with those big blue eyes. "I won't talk to Rachel anymore if you don't want me to. You know you mean more, right?"

Thank the heavens she smiled after that, 'cause he didn't think he could keep up the sappy dude charade much longer. "I know," she nodded, throwing her little arms around him in a death grip. He usually wasn't one for these affectionate outbursts, but he'd let it slide, _just this once. _"I just don't want you t'forget about me," she muttered against his collar.

Finn shook his head, chuckling a little. "That's not gonna happen, kid. I promise." For proof, he wrapped her pinky up in his and shook hard, making her laugh a little. That made him feel better. He'd feel like a total douche if he made Katie upset over some girl…even if that girl sorta made his heart go crazy.

Katie pulled away with a smile on her face and Finn knew the worst was over. _Whew. _"Just…" she started, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Make sure you get the girl this time," she smiled. "Not Noah."

_That's what he was hoping for. _Grinning from ear to ear, Finn pulled himself up off the ground and ruffled her hair affectionately. "That's the plan."

"First, we've _gotta_ get you a dictionary. That girl uses really big words."

_The little… _"Wow, Kat," Finn mocked. "Thanks for the confidence boost."

She seemed wholly unaffected, throwing her hands up innocently. "I'm just trying to help!"

Finn knew better than to wake a sleeping beast. Instead, he stretched out his hand with an easy smile. "Alright, if you help me, I'll keep Puck away from Rachel. Deal?"

Katie seemed to consider it for a second. Part of him wondered if maybe it was just for show; that kid always did like a dramatic effect. Then, beaming up at him with her freckled cheeks, she took his giant hand in hers and shook.

"Deal."

_-FFFFFFFF-_

There weren't a lot of things Finn was afraid of; he liked to think he was a carefree kind of guy. Sure, there were spiders, but those things were like, really sneaky and poisonous and stuff. And then there were clowns, but that one wasn't his fault. He'd walked in on his mom watching some movie named "It" and hadn't been the same since. That Stephen King was one scary dude. He really wasn't a fan of heights, but since he was freakishly tall he got over that one pretty fast. So, the obvious things made Finn a little nervous, but nothing prepared him for Rachel Berry.

He'd be lying if he said he still wasn't a little bit wary about the whole thing. After all, first impressions didn't just _disappear. _And, well, the girl gave him the heebie-jeebies… but, in a good way. Was that possible? Could heebie-jeebies ever be good? Was there a _good _kind of heebie-jeebies? Heebie-jeebie? Singular or plural? Great, now he was confused, and he'd officially creeped himself out by saying heebie-jeebies so much. See what the girl did to him?

Anyway, the point of it all was this: Finn was scared to see Rachel again. Katie's words were running rampant in the back of his mind and it did little to soothe his nerves. _"You better get the girl." _Yeah, like he didn't know that. He really liked her, and that was weird since Finn never really liked any girl that much, except for Katie and, like, his mom. But this was different, _obviously. _This time he knew if he did one thing wrong, he'd blow it. Finn screwed stuff up a lot, and this was one thing he was _praying _he wouldn't.

He'd thought their night together went great, and it seemed like she thought so too. He'd never really just _talked _to somebody, like about himself and his feelings and stuff. But with Rachel it all just kind of came to him, like he could spill his guts and she wouldn't think any less of him. From her pretty smile yesterday morning, he thought she liked him too. But Katie messed him all up when she made it a _deal, _like if he couldn't do it she'd be pissed at him for it. What if he _couldn't _do it? What if Rachel Berry and all her New York hotshot-ness was too much for a boy from Lima to handle? What if she thought he was a loser just like everyone else? Finn groaned; things just got a lot more complicated.

He couldn't focus at all on what Puck was saying Wednesday morning. All he could think about was where they were headed, and whom they would inevitably see at said destination.

Apparently, though, Puck's mind was on the same gorgeous brunette. "And then she did this tongue thing that was like, _whoa. _Where'd she learn that? And…" If it wasn't a dream he was describing, Puck would have been wearing the rearview mirror as a necklace. Finn was growing more and more heated by the second.

"And she's all, '_Oh, Puck' _in this fucking _hot _ass moan and I'm all…"

Finn was a little too preoccupied with his own thoughts to care what Puck's response to that was.

_I wonder if she rinses _and _repeats? Or maybe it's just one rinse. I heard that whole 'repeat' thing was a big hoax…_

"You know what she did when I did that? She screams out '_F…'"_

_Are her lips always that shiny? Or does she wear some kinda chapstick or something? I wonder what it tastes like…_

"Finn! Finn, dude…" How long had he been zoned out? Puck was shrugging his arm and looking at him like he'd just confessed his love for Taylor Swift. _What, she was cute…_

"We're here, man. Where the hell have you been?"

Finn shook his head to clear it out; it didn't work. "Just thinkin'," he answered distractedly, hopping out of the truck.

"'Bout that dream?" Puck gave him a smirk and lifted their tools from the trunk. "It was _awesome."_

Finn offered a little smile. He didn't think it'd be too great to punch him in the face. "Yeah, sounded like it."

Maybe he _should _just let Puck take the reins on this one. Katie would understand, right? He just didn't have that _charm _– as Puck liked to call it – with girls. He was totally clumsy and awkward and never said the right stuff. There were plenty of other fish in the sea, and maybe this one just wasn't his fish.

That thought changed immediately the second his eyes spotted Rachel.

Decked out in an uncharacteristic pair of jean shorts and a _very _flattering top, Rachel lounged out back in a beach chair and a pretty big looking book on her lap. When the boys approached and she looked up and smiled _that _smile, Finn was pretty sure all his bones just turned to jelly. _Grape jelly, that's his favorite. _

"Hey baby," Puck swept in, giving her _the eyes. _He'd said it worked like gold. "Miss me?"

Rachel smiled, and Finn felt his whole head throb. "I did, _Noah." _Finn was so screwed for telling her his real name. "I haven't had anyone to laugh at for the past _week._ It's been incredibly dull._" _

Puck's face dropped and Finn could only do a little victory dance in his head. _Finn – 1, Puck – 0._

"Hello Finn," she smiled, turning to him confidently.

Finn just smiled and nodded back, fairly certain nothing would come out of his mouth if he tried.

Puck nudged him in the side. "Let's go. We got a lotta work to do." Was it just Finn, or did Puck seem a little _jealous_? Huh, that was new…

In truth, Finn was finding it really hard to pay attention. I mean, how could he? When Rachel kept playing with her hair, or biting her lip, or doing that fluttering thing with her eyelashes... He almost chopped off his hand _twice_ with the stupid hedge trimmers. Maybe she was doing it on purpose. That would sure explain why she always gave him one of those shy, sideways smiles that made his heart race every time he got caught staring. She had to know the effect she was having on him, right? It was honestly getting harder and _harder _to control himself, and he was pretty sure if she crossed her legs like that one more time Cinco De Mayo was gonna come twice that year.

And then there was the way she said his name. Finn never liked it when he was a kid; he always thought it sounded kinda like a leprechaun or something. Thank goodness he was tall, 'cause it would really suck if he was short _and _had a name like Finn. _Kids were cruel. _But when Rachel said it, it was like music. This time he didn't even think he was being sappy about it. It was true. Her voice was like she was constantly singing and he wanted _so badly _to hear how else she might say his name, were the circumstances different.

He was really proud of himself when he went a whole ten minutes without staring. He'd just returned on the riding mower to get a drink when Rachel stood and offered him a winning smile.

_Damn those shorts…_

She skipped over to him and handed him a bottle.

"Thanks," he murmured, his shy eyes meeting hers.

Rachel took a sip of her own and nodded. He didn't even feel awkward when she didn't respond; he kinda just wanted to look at her without feeling like a perv. Her hair was straight today and pushed back with one of those headband things Katie liked to make fun of. He couldn't tell what it was but her eyes looked extra big and pretty; maybe 'cause there wasn't any of that black gook girls liked to wear underneath. He really liked the color of them too – brown but with these little flecks of gold he hadn't noticed 'til now. Sometimes, like last night, they looked darker and intense, almost black. Not that he didn't like that, but this look made him feel less on fire and more _tingly_ all over.

His eyes trailed down from her eyes, trying to memorize everything he could in such a private moment. He wasn't sure where Puck was, but he knew he'd come over and break it up sometime. All thoughts of Puck zapped out of his mind though when his gaze met her lips. They were glistening from the ice tea she just sipped and oh _man _did he wanna know what that was like. Her teeth were worrying her bottom one and it was like _torture_. He just wanted to stop its suffering and catch it between his.

That was probably why he couldn't stop himself from doing what he did. He tried, he really did, but when that little bit of iced tea splashed just about Rachel's lip, Finn couldn't resist it.

"You, uh, you got a little," Finn murmured, carefully raising his hand to her face. As lightly as he possibly could, he cupped her cheek and lifted his thumb toward her lip. When her eyes met his, he was sure she'd heard his obnoxiously loud _gulp _as he tried to keep himself in one piece. He was slowly crumbling, and when the pad of his thumb ran across her top lip and they parted under his touch, _oh boy; _he thought he'd pool into a pile right at her feet.

Her breath fanned across his hand and he couldn't help but linger for an extra second. She was so _pretty, _it just wasn't fair. It wasn't until she swallowed _hard _and her eyes focused wide on something behind him that he dropped his hold on her cheek. He immediately regretted it.

Rachel took a step back. "I-I'll just go get some more drinks," she mumbled, and turned fast toward the house.

Well, Finn felt like a complete ass. He _knew _he'd scare her off.

"Damn, is that one _fine _piece of ass."

_Puck must like pissing him off…_

Groaning quietly, Finn watched as Puck gawked at Rachel's ass, eyes following her retreating frame. So maybe Finn had been doing it too, but that didn't give Puck the right to come over here and ruin it.

"What I wouldn't give for just five minutes –"

"Dude!" Finn barked. He'd had enough of this. "Can you just, like, _not_?"

Puck threw his hands up defensively. "What? It's only a matter of time…"

_Great, _Finn thought glumly. His frown must have been pretty obvious as he stared dejectedly toward the house. Puck cracked him across the back of the head.

"Hey," Finn snapped, annoyed.

Puck's eyes narrowed curiously. "What's up with you and her anyway?"

_Awkward. _"What d'you mean?"

He could never trick Puck. "Do you like, like her or somethin'?"

This was bad. Not only was Finn terrified of how he felt, but talking about it made him and Puck seem like total chicks. This was worse than talking to _Katie _about it. Finn shrugged, hoping the situation wasn't actually happening.

Apparently it was.

"'Cause, you know, if you're like, into her, I'll back off." Puck appeared completely serious in his offer so Finn thought it'd be pretty mean to laugh. "I got plenty of other girls that wanna get with Puckzilla."

_Did that mean that if he didn't 'back off' Finn wouldn't have a chance? _

Finn frowned; that certainly didn't bode well for his self-esteem. He decided though that saying something about it wasn't exactly worth it. It never was with Puck.

"Oh, well… thanks man," he smiled instead, leaving it at that. Any more girl talk like this and he was pretty sure his balls would fall off.

Puck shook his head sadly. "'S a shame though. We're both a couple 'a hot Jews…"

_Huh?_

Briefly Finn recalled the 'title' Rachel had given Puck while they were talking the other night. He was pretty sure it went something like: _a smug, egotistical pig head whose only interest is himself and his strange, asinine hairdo. _Katie looked at him really funny when he'd asked what _asinine _meant. Once he'd gotten the definition, he figured maybe Rachel didn't like Puck too much. Telling Puck that though was pointless. He just nodded along instead.

"Well, dude." Puck chugged the rest of his water and crinkled the bottle in his hand, throwing it at Finn. "Good luck wit'her. I want _every detail _once you tap that."

Sometimes Finn wondered why they were even friends.

"You got it, man."

* * *

She'd lost her voice. Rachel Berry had officially been rendered speechless. It should have scared the life right out of her, had Finn Hudson not been the one to cause it.

Rachel decided to wait to go back outside. She didn't want Finn to hurt himself anymore with those hedge trimmers, and she desperately needed a chance for her voice to catch up.

Taking a long, needy swig from her glass, Rachel counted to sixty while her breathing evened. That was incredibly difficult to do, considering her lip was still tingling from where Finn touched and her cheeks wouldn't let go off that lovesick smile.

She was hoping she wasn't coming on too strong. She tended to do that, and Finn looked like he scared easy. Hopefully he could get over that; Rachel was holding herself back as it was.

Suddenly Rachel was snapped out of her thoughts from the sound of someone singing. She obviously immediately recognized the song, one she'd sung long ago, but something urged her to listen in.

"_I know a place where no one's lost. I know a place where no one cries…"_

Turning her head quickly, Rachel impulsively turned toward the noise. Realizing it was coming from the front, she hurriedly tiptoed closer and stopped just inside the door, listening. Curiosity got the best of her and she scrunched down to peak out the window. When she identified the singer, she was _beyond _surprised to discover that it was… Katie.

Her voice actually sounded kind of… _good. _Okay, that was an understatement. It sounded _really _good. Occasionally sharp but Rachel realized that was just because she lacked her years of training. Never one to refrain from offering advice, Rachel decided to go talk to her.

Stopping her song short, Katie immediately stiffened when Rachel approached. Rachel tried not to let that bother her, but it did. Innocently she offered a small wave and went to sit across from Katie on the bench.

Neither said a word and Rachel thought maybe she'd met her match with this one. She decided to be the first to break the silence. "You're very good," she said, surprised to find _herself _timid. "Have you been singing long?"

Katie shrugged, looking away. "Sorta."

This would be harder than she thought. Rachel really didn't know what she did, but Katie didn't seem too thrilled about her being there. She didn't budge that easy though. "Well, you're very talented," she tried. "I'd know, I'm very talented too."

Katie nodded uncomfortably and Rachel chided herself for being so arrogant. She'd really have to work on that.

Maybe a different approach would fare better. "Have you, have you ever seen a Broadway show?"

Katie's head perked up and Rachel bit back her smile. "No," she muttered, a bit reluctantly. Still, it was a start. "Aunt Carole said she's gonna try and take me for my birthday soon."

Rachel smiled wide. "Oh you'll love it!" she exclaimed. "It's the most wonderful feeling you'll ever experience. I remember the first show I saw," she recalled, a dreamy air to her voice. She almost forgot Katie was there. "I was seven, and it was _West Side Story. _I of course immediately fell in love with Tony and was convinced for the next three years that I'd one day marry him. But hearing those voices blend together so effortlessly and resound against the walls all around you… it's astonishing. It truly is. There is absolutely nothing like a live performance by some of the most exceptional entertainers in the business."

Why did she _always _have to be so long winded? She looked over to Katie quickly and shook her head. "I'm sorry," she muttered, scolding herself silently. "I'm talking too much again."

Amazingly though, Katie just shook her head. "No, I like hearing you talk about this stuff. No one else likes it like me."

Rachel grinned happily. "Well, if you ever want someone to talk to, I wouldn't mind at all."

Katie smiled back, a real one this time. "Okay."

She thought maybe she understood now why Finn liked being with Katie so much. It was nice feeling special to someone, like they looked up to you and your opinion _mattered. _Rachel didn't really have a lot of friends, and she was kind of hoping that she'd be able to consider Katie a good one. There was something about the girl that charmed her immensely.

"So," Rachel started again, feeling the tension ease. "Do you always wait out here for Finn?"

Katie nodded. "Yep. Aunt Carole works really long shifts, and we can't really afford a babysitter. I don't care though. 'S a good place to sing," she smiled toothily, and an idea suddenly struck Rachel.

She beamed widely at her. "Well, what do you say to a deal?"

"A deal?" Katie repeated skeptically.

Rachel nodded with a smile. "I can give you singing lessons."

For an immeasurable moment Rachel was terrified. That was incredibly rash and presumptuous. Why would Katie want to spend any more unnecessary time with her? She clearly did not enjoy Rachel's company and there was so way she'd subject herself to any more of these awkward encounters. Rachel desperately tried to keep her cynicism away but it was unavoidable. Her thoughts were always filled with such self-conscious rebukes.

Katie bit her lip, obviously mulling it over, and Rachel was quick to cover. "If you'd like, that is. We can practice every Wednesday while the boys are here doing the yard work." She smiled a bit at the end, hoping maybe it'd be reassuring. She had made the mistake of getting excited about the possibility, and now all her hope was hanging on Katie's answer.

Katie looked up at her shyly and then, _finally, _grinned back. "Okay."

How one word made Rachel's heart stop racing, she didn't know.

"But, uh," Katie started, worrying her lip again. "Can we, _not _tell Finn? It's just… he'll bug me about it and I really don't want him t' know."

"Sure," Rachel agreed immediately. She found that she liked it very much when Katie confided in her. It was something she could get used to. "He teases you a lot, huh?"

Katie rolled her eyes, that sarcastic tone coming out. "He's stupid," she grumbled. "I catch him singin' to stuff all the time."

Rachel just smiled. She would have pegged him for a singer.

* * *

So, Rachel hadn't come back outside the rest of the morning and Finn really hoped he hadn't scared her off for good. He had every intention of finding her and apologizing profusely for his lack of self-restraint. It was just his stupid hormones, going all wacko around her. He was gonna tell her all that and more, until he heard Katie laughing from the front yard.

At first he panicked; he knew she was waiting for him, but was she talking to a stranger or something? He told her not to do stuff like that, and he knew she wasn't stupid. What if she got like abducted or something?

He heard her giggle. "Yeah, Finny's always sayin' stuff like that."

_Finny? Why was she talking to the weirdo about _him_?_

He started running like an idiot toward the front then, only to hear that melodic voice he'd grown to love.

"It looks like you and Finn have a very nice relationship with each other…"

_She was talking to _Rachel_? _That only made him run faster.

"Mmhmm, he's my best friend," Katie gushed, and then he heard her say something and the two of them starting laughing and _oh man, _Katie was gonna ruin this for him.

He felt really self-conscious when he went over to them and they started laughing harder. Katie was beaming up at him and Rachel had tears in her eyes from laughing so much.

He unconsciously stood a little taller. "What?"

Finn was starting to think he was possessed. Rachel smiled that stupid smile again and he was almost starting to get sick of the way he totally blanked when she did it. _Not._

Finn shook his head to clear it and looked over to Katie. "You ready to go? We got practice in an hour."

Katie nodded and jumped over to his side. To his surprise, she waved happily to Rachel and grinned. "We can finish talking later, right Rachel?"

Rachel's smile flicked down to Katie and Finn thought he was just seeing things. And hearing things. "Absolutely." She peaked back up at Finn then, and he couldn't care about anything else if he wanted to. He'd been so nervous she was pissed at him that he nearly collapsed when her eyes met his.

"Same time next week?" she asked, looking from him to Katie secretively. He was kinda confused about that, but then she smiled again and it didn't really matter anymore.

When he'd taken to just gaping at her instead of responding, Katie saved him by pulling him away. He wasn't even sure if she answered or not. But she hadn't made any jabs at him the whole ride home, and after they'd dropped Puck off, Finn finally couldn't help himself.

"Why are you so happy all of a sudden?"

Katie didn't seem at all affected by his forwardness. She just cocked her head at him. "What, I can't just smile now without havin' a reason?"

"No!" He certainly wasn't complaining. "No, just…curious, that's all."

Katie didn't respond and he thought he should just let it go. He didn't need to know that bad. Katie finished the song with a smile and turned back toward him. ""You know, I think I like Rachel Berry after all. I wouldn't mind you dating her at all, Finn."

_What?_

Finn chuckled instead; nothing was turning out as he thought it would today anyway. He was over being surprised. "Oh really? What changed your mind?"

Katie shrugged. "She's a very nice girl," she explained matter-of-factly. "And it appears we share some common interests."

"Well, I'm glad you think so," Finn grinned, hiding his laugh from her. She was in a good mood now and he wasn't gonna risk it.

Katie nodded happily. "Yep. I totally approve, Finn."

That one deserved a snort. "You _approve_?"

Finn peaked over from the corner of his eye and Katie seemed wholeheartedly serious. "Yes," she gaped. "What, did you think you were gonna date somebody I didn't like?"

Finn shook his head vehemently. "Of course not. I dunno what I was thinking."

Seemingly pleased, Katie faced forward and started in on the next song. This one he'd heard before. It was one of her favorites, from some movie called "Funny Girl". Don't let the title fool you though; he didn't laugh once.

"One day, Finn," she beamed when he'd stopped at a red light. "I'm gonna make it on _Broadway_."

The awe in her voice reminded him of Rachel, and he couldn't help the smile that spread on his lips. He had no doubt that they'd _both _make their dreams come true. He just hoped he could tag along for the ride.

Finn agreed with a nod and gave a serious face. "Just don't forget about me kid, okay?"

"Deal."


	7. Author's Note

Alright, you all have no idea how painful this past month has been for me! I haven't written ANYTHING (save for a page or two of random crap that just got erased anyway) in so long that this little Author's Note is making me have to actually THINK.

I can't even begin to say how sorry I am for making you all wait this long, and then how even MORE sorry I am that the wait will be at least another week and a half. I never anticipated my senior year to be this jam-packed, but you know what happens when you ASSUME! I could go on and explain all the things that have been keeping me from this story but it would just be boring and exhausting and I'm sure you frankly don't want to hear it. I WILL tell you this:

I WILL be finishing this story, even if it takes up a whole year!

I WILL be updating at least once before the end of this month! (even if it kills me)

And Finn and Rachel WILL be getting the sexytimes they both deserve! (all in good time )

This is one of my favorite stories I've written, and even though I have lots of other ideas roaming around in my head, this one is closest to my heart. I haven't even entered into some of the things I've prepared for this story, and I'm SO EXCITED to share them all with you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU – to all your amazing, lovely, wonderful reviews! It makes me sick to think I've been making you guys wait for this for so long, and I'm SO sorry if this note got your hopes up. I'll leave this up as a chapter in case you all want to ream me out for not posting in so long, but I really hope the next chapter makes up for all your distress (now I'm just being dramatic!) Like I've said in the past chapter (can you all remember that far back?), this next chapter is one I'm REALLY excited to write, so I hope you all enjoy reading it. I know exactly what I plan to write, it's just that pesky little issue of TIME that seems to be stumping me. If anyone has any thoughts on how I can quit school and not worrying about college applications or English papers and the like, feel free to drop them in my Inbox!

So to recap: sorry (times a billion), thank you (times a trillion), and I LOVE YOU ALL (times a gazillion)!

Look out for a chapter soon guys, I promise I won't leave you hanging much longer!

- Maria


	8. Insecurities

**A/N: Wow. There are so many excuses I can give for not posting in, what, about four months? From college applications to family drama to surgery to the holidays to so many other things, my writing has unfortunately taken a backburner. And its been incredibly painful. I want to genuinely apologize to any reviewers who have re-reviewed or messaged me concerning this story - I really hope you guys know how much I love and appreciate your comments and kind words. It kept me from socking my teachers for assigning homework on my free days. **

**On a brighter note, I'm posting now! I won't be guaranteeing anything about the date of my next post, because evidently when I do that, it means I wait for months. I am, however, completely finished with college apps (just scholarships now!) since I got into the writing program I've been dreaming of (insert my mini-_holy shit _moment here). Holidays are pretty much over, and hopefully my teachers decide that the last half of senior year is a joke that should be filled with movie-watching and no test-taking. I doubt it, but I'll say this: I WILL FINISH THIS STORY. Even if you all have to personally come drag it out of me. I have exciting things prepared that I can't wait to write, so please, if you've enjoyed this so far, stick with me a little while longer.**

**As for this chapter, I'm completely unhappy with it. If you can recall some months back, I was so pumped to write this one. I had it all mapped out and detailed, but then it just... wouldn't work. I wound up cutting the last bit, and I just really don't think I got across what I meant to in the first place. So please, feedback on this would be wonderful! Even if it's just a hateful comment telling me to stick it where the sun don't shine for not posting in forever. That's totally fine by me. **

**Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed. I hope this makes up for me sucking!**

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters**

* * *

"**There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness." – Friedrich Nietzsche **

The idea was ludicrous, preposterous even; but Rachel was starting to think that perhaps, if fate may make it so, she wouldn't mind staying in Lima a little longer than just a single summer.

It was strange to consider that she'd only been there two weeks; in fact, when she thought back to her initial impression of this small town and the strangers she would soon call her friends, it seemed as if she'd simply conjured up the whole thing.

The annoying, vulgar pest that was the ever-so-charming "Puck" now turned into the loud-mouthed, (still annoying) but fun-natured Noah Puckerman. (Though she knew to limit her time with the _Puckasaurus_… Rachel had never laughed so much _at _someone in her entire life.)

The bubbly, welcoming little girl whom she'd mistakenly considered her enemy now transformed into her favorite companion. Quick-witted and, as she had very soon learned, wise well beyond her years, Katie immediately became Rachel's closest and dearest friend, to such a degree that at times, it seemed the girl knew more about Rachel's feelings than she did herself. In the short time she'd spent with Katie, Rachel quickly realized she would not be easily forgotten.

And, of course, the insensitive, egotistical jock with the maddening dimpled grin now, without a doubt, became the boy of her dreams.

Suddenly, Farmville, U.S.A got a whole lot more interesting.

After patching things up with both Katie and her adorable cousin, Rachel saw her whole world take a giant turn toward the surreal. Her mornings, when not spent by the pool watching Lima's Finest tend to the lawn, were occupied by friendly banter during basketball practices or intense stare downs over a board game.

("Monopoly is a serious game, Rach. I don't care if she's crying. She knows I'm always the racecar!")

The fact that the majority of Finn's time was spent with Katie made Rachel's heart swell to unimaginable proportions.

She wouldn't lie – there was no other way she could envision her summer. Each morning, Rachel and Katie assumed the impossibly frustrating task of arousing Finn from sleep with their new kitchen concoctions – yesterday was a special all-vegan pita wrap which, though he'd groaned and grumbled about at first, Finn finally admitted was "actually pretty good." Honestly, though, she had never seen a boy who could inhale an entire sandwich the way Finn could. It was truthfully a little unnerving.

She has also assumed the title of the baseball team's most avid fan.

Never did she miss a game, except for that one time when Finn "got the days screwed up" (typical). She was actually starting to truly understand the game and all of its sometimes ridiculous rules, and on more than one occasion she was asked (more like yelled at) to please stop screaming her opinions of the innocent little children on the other team so loudly. She bit back a smile every time Katie gave her a thumbs-up and told her to cheer louder.

A very thorough initiation process had to first take place, but Rachel was now the third person included in the Joey's Pizza Tradition. Truthfully, she was appalled at the menu, and she was forced to speak with Joey himself about his blatant disregard for his more health-conscious customers. Don't worry, she set him straight. Aside from the meal, however, Rachel never felt more honored to be a part of something that was clearly so special to both Finn and Katie. After splitting – _more like ninety/ten_ – a tray of Extra Cheese, Extra Sausage, No Onions (their typical order), Finn and Katie raced cars in the arcade until they reached their last quarter, after which Finn would clap Joey on the back, putting an extra five dollars in the tip jar, and race Katie out to the car.

Rachel truthfully couldn't remember a time when she was so unproductive, yet for once, she didn't really care. She was happy, and for Rachel, admitting this was a giant feat in and of itself. Spending time with Finn was a luxury she could _certainly _get used to, and being with Katie was just an added bonus. She enjoyed her company no matter where they went, whether it was out at Joey's after a big win or at Aunt Ruth's during their top-secret singing lessons.

The latter is where the two currently were.

While Puck and Finn battled it out ninja-style with a few rakes in the backyard – _and honestly, they were getting _paid _to do this_ _work – _Rachel's fingers were gliding up the grand piano while Katie followed each key in her potentially impeccable little voice. Just a few more lessons with Rachel and that girl was going to have big things coming her way.

Today, however, Katie appeared distracted. Over the short time she'd known her, Rachel never knew Katie to ignore her vocal tips or butcher that high A like she just did. Something was on her mind. The team _had _lost their game the night before, but after the biggest ice cream sundae she'd ever witnessed and Finn's cheesy (albeit incredibly sweet) serenading on the car ride home – _she had to admit, his voice had potential – _Rachel had thought Katie was okay.

Apparently not.

Was she perhaps frustrated that Rachel was tagging along so much? She had thought Katie enjoyed her company almost as much as she did hers, but maybe she was mistaken. After all, Rachel did not make friends very easily, but to _keep _a friend? Rachel knew it was a long shot.

Rachel glanced shyly toward Katie, who was staring out the back window passively, and sighed under her breath. Was it pathetic that this girl had somehow become her best friend? Ridiculous that, somehow, a seven year old's approval meant more to her than Daniel's ever could? Another sigh rose in her throat when Katie's head swiveled back toward the piano, her eyes expertly missing Rachel's.

_Pathetic. Ridiculous. Sounds about right. _

Rachel struck the next note once, signaling to Katie the key, and she started again.

Halfway through the G-chord, however, the notes fell from Katie's lips and she jerked her head up suddenly.

"Did'ja know that Finny plays the drums?"

_Huh?_

A glint sparkled in Katie's eyes and Rachel would have smiled had she not been so confused. Her hands fell from the piano keys as she cocked her head, one eye squinting curiously.

"No, I didn't know that," Rachel answered hesitantly.

Katie smiled, a knowing one that, for reasons unknown, made the hairs stand up on Rachel's neck. "Yep, ever since he was little," she replied happily. She looked around then, checking the doorway quickly, and turned back to Rachel with another grin.

"And he's good too."

A curious smirk lifted the corner of Rachel's mouth and she thought maybe Katie had psychic powers even greater than her own. The kid was up to something – she could tell. "I didn't know that either," Rachel affirmed with a small nod. "I'll have to hear him play sometime."

Katie smiled quietly again but otherwise said nothing, and Rachel assumed she was in the clear. Her hands lifted casually to start the next scale.

"And did'ja know he's captain of the football team?" Katie placed her hands on her shaky knees and leaned forward. "Basketball too. He's the best player they've got."

_Where was this going? _Rachel swung her legs around from under the piano and faced Katie, her powers failing her. What was this girl doing?

She gave a slow nod and eyed Katie inquisitively. "Yes, I do believe he mentioned that once or twice."

Katie licked her lips eagerly, her feet tapping a mile a minute. "He's real modest though," she added quickly, as if Rachel didn't already know. "He doesn't like all that 'tention and stuff from people."

"Mmhmm," Rachel quietly assented.

"'Specially girls. He's not'a player or anything like Noah always pretends to be."

"Oh?"

"Nope," she sighed happily, her vivid eyes watching Rachel with interest. She paused, seemingly for a dramatic effect, and finished her speech with a meaningful grin. "He's a real gentl'man."

A nagging voice creeped its way into Rachel's thoughts as she tried ruthlessly to figure out what Katie was possibly doing. That glimmer in her squinting gaze and the way in which her fingers were rapping against the wood of the bench gave discomfort a whole new meaning, and Rachel could feel her own palms grow a bit moist. Clearly Rachel was a pawn in some sort of diabolical plan, and she was immensely concerned.

She knew the girl adored her cousin. It was painfully, (adorably) obvious. But why take time out of their lessons to tell _Rachel _all about him?

As if she wasn't privy to their sweet, heartwarming relationship.

As if she hadn't ogled over Finn's adorableness every day for the past two weeks.

As if Rachel didn't know how perfect and amazing and desirable…

Oh. _Oh._

Rachel's head shot up with her sudden revelation and she saw Katie's eyes on her appraisingly.

Well, the girl was certainly clever.

_As if Rachel didn't realize how wonderful Finn really was. How wonderful he could be…with _her.

Biting the inside of her cheek to keep that mega-watt smile off her face, Rachel busied herself by arranging some sheet music. She could hardly keep her excitement in line; she needed a distraction. "Any girl would be lucky to have him I'd imagine," she nodded in agreement.

Katie seemed more than pleased. "Yep," she grinned, but then her eyes narrowed suspiciously, watching Rachel fidget.

"But I don't think if he's looking for just any kind'a girl."

"Oh?"

She shook her head rapidly. "Nah, he's picky. I think he's got a pref'rence."

"A preference?"

"Uh-huh. He likes, uh, brown hair. And, um –" Katie paused quickly to meet Rachel's eyes.

"Brown eyes too."

"Well that narrows things down considerably."

"Yeah," Katie drawled out, inspecting her dirty fingernails one by one. "Wonder where he could find'a girl like that…" And a pair of brilliant blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

The air grew thick, like she was sucking in fumes, and Rachel could feel that blush spread like wildfire over her skin. When the old grandfather clock struck twelve noon and the chimes reverberated against the walls, she could feel her heartbeats thumping along with the sound. Why in the world was she being so self-conscious about this?

"D'ya think he's cute?"

Rachel cleared her throat subconsciously and avoided Katie's unwavering stare. "Well, um, he – " This question should be easy. She slid her hair behind her ear uncomfortably. " – he certainly has a … a certain, charm, about him."

Katie smiled, pleased. "So… ya think he's sexy then?"

Was it possible for your ears to burn off from embarrassment? Rachel stuttered. "Well I… I don't think that's a very appropriate word…"

"Why not?" Katie shrugged. "I hear Puck and Finny use it all the time, 'specially when they're talkin' bout…"

The sly smile that crept onto her face said it all. This kid knew what she was doing.

Rachel sighed in resignation. For someone who was always so stubborn, she really should be able to ignore that unfinished sentence. She shouldn't care one bit about this "sexy" girl Puck and Finn ogled over twenty-four seven. Why should it affect her if this girl was prettier than her, or taller than her, or – oh god – had a better voice than her? It really shouldn't matter in the slightest.

But _damn it_, it sure as hell did.

"Especially when they're talking about whom, Katie?" Rachel tried to appear nonchalant, busying her hands with the bottom of her blouse, but she knew her acting was poor.

Her lips twitched in satisfaction, while Rachel's pursed in frustration.

"Kat? Rachel?"

Both girls' heads shot up so fast, Rachel was fairly certain she'd given herself whiplash. Finn's voice travelled down the hallway, his footsteps fast approaching, and Katie shot Rachel a desperate look. Immediately she understood, and the two began stuffing all the sheet music into any open compartment they could find – behind the plants, inside the piano. Rachel actually sat on some.

A strange flutter occurred in her chest as Finn entered the room, his hair and shirt thoroughly drenched in sweat and random streaks of dirt smeared over his face. She thought he might be the most adorable boy she'd ever seen.

"Hey," he smiled easily. "What're you guys doing in here?"

Maybe she was meant to be an actress after all; Katie didn't even pause for a breath before she answered. "Hiya, Finny," she grinned. "Rachel and me were just discussin' the importance of arts education for t'day's youth!"

Impressive.

Finn must have been used to Katie's language by now. "Oh, well, sounds interesting. I guess." He cocked an eyebrow toward Rachel and she couldn't help but marvel how one crooked twitch of his lips could make her feel lightheaded in the most wonderful way. She sincerely hoped she had some sort of effect on him too. If she was the only one awe-stricken by him, she would feel like an utter fool.

Rachel didn't miss how Katie's head swiveled back and forth between she and Finn like the ball at a tennis match. She just chose to ignore it. "Are you done so soon?" she asked Finn instead.

He nodded. "Puck didn't bring enough mulch, so we're coming back tomorrow." She loved the way his eyes sparkled at the prospect. She was sure hers did too.

Katie's eyes landed on Rachel again. "You're coming t' my game on Sunday, right Rachel? We're playin' those losers from Carmel." The way she spat out the name made Rachel chuckle. She was with Noah much too much.

"I wouldn't miss it, Katie."

Her gap-toothed smile sprouted happily as she nodded. "Good, 'cause I think Finny really likes it when you come. He always says so."

Finn Hudson would stop her heart one day, she just knew it.

"Okay, Kat, you ready to go?"

The tips of Finn's ears looked like they just might burn off, and Rachel certainly didn't miss the way he wiped his palms hastily against his shorts. When he looked up unsurely at her, she felt her own cheeks go warm and tucked an imaginary strand of hair behind her ear, looking away.

Sighing loudly, Katie heaved her little legs off the bench and carefully placed her hat atop her head. Expertly, she whipped her long, blonde ponytail through the hole and adjusted the cap over her eyes just slightly. One day Rachel would have to introduce her to the wonderful world of argyle and bows and polka dot dresses. She smiled at the image.

Quickly Katie skipped over to Rachel and hugged her tightly, murmuring a "see you next week" with a small giggle against her shoulder, and flitted back to Finn's side.

Finn tugged playfully at her ponytail and reached for her book bag, tossing it naturally over his shoulder.

"Thanks Finn," she grinned, peeking one eye sneakily toward Rachel. "You're so chiv'lrous."

Finn smiled crookedly. "Thanks," he shrugged, before his eyes flickered in confusion and he cocked his head toward her on their way out the door. "That's a good thing, right?"

_-RRRRRRRRR-_

"You are a strong, sexy, confident woman, and you do not need a man to make you feel special."

The girl in the mirror smiled back shakily at her, and she could see her hands picking nervously at the rumpled fabric of her white skirt. She was ten seconds away from throwing her robe back on and just burying herself in a pillow until summer was officially over. Remembering her mantra was the only thing keeping her from doing just that.

Katie's words left Rachel in a bit of a dilemma, though that fate was not uncommon. She was thrilled, ecstatic actually, that the little girl approved of her relationship with Finn (more like wholeheartedly encouraged it). But now the issue lied in actually _having _a relationship with Finn. Up until now, the pair never accomplished more than locking eyes a bit longer than necessary or accidently (though delightfully) brushing hands as they reached for a door handle. Sure, they spent every waking moment together, and yes, it was magic, but Rachel wanted more.

She _liked _Finn, and truthfully, she'd never felt this way about anyone.

Daniel was…Daniel was interested in her. More importantly, Daniel was interested in her talent, and with a family name whose mention raises the eyebrows and purses the lips of even the most successful in the industry, she wasn't going to throw away the opportunity. After all, he wasn't _wholly _uninteresting to her, either. With a full head of thick brown hair and a pair of alluring emerald eyes, Daniel Hallaway could intrigue a _fly. _Never had she witnessed a better actor his age, and his vocals by far surpassed the others in their class. He was a charmer, a real Casanova, and really, it was still a marvel to her that he chose Rachel Berry above all the rest of his admirers. She didn't _still _swoon over him, of course; after being together for nearly a year, and having witnessed that, no, he was not, in fact, an angel sent from heaven itself, Rachel fully understood the depths that their relationship could withhold. She did enjoy his company, and when his head wasn't completely lodged up his own ass, Daniel could make her feel like one of the luckiest girls in the world, but overshadowing his good tendencies was Daniel's penchant for being an absolute jerk. He could be pushy, arrogant, wholly unsympathetic to the suffering of others, and frankly, he lacked any real sense of humor. And living the life of Rachel Berry, well it required being able to laugh at yourself on a daily basis. The fact that he was entirely _clueless _honestly was enough to drive her mad.

Finn was different. She didn't know why or how or when it happened, nor did she care, but there was this _feeling _she got when he was around that never failed to send her heartbeats into frenzy. It wasn't just his looks, either, like it mostly was with Daniel – though, of course, no girl with _eyes _could deny that Finn Hudson was one _hot _hunk of a man. It was _everything _about him – from the way his nose scrunched up when he laughed to the mutual adoration he shared with Katie to the innocent shift of his eyes whenever she caught him staring to… God, she could go on forever. He was clumsy and goofy and sometimes he could be completely clueless, but he hardly meant any harm. She wasn't naïve enough to believe he lacked any negative qualities – after all, she'd barely known him for two weeks – but from what she'd seen, she was fairly positive Finn Hudson could make any girl fall in love. The fact that he seemed wholly oblivious to that truth only made him that much more endearing.

It was only to be expected that she'd feel a bit guilty. Her intentions were not ones that a girl already taken should be suggesting, but truthfully, she felt surprisingly at ease. Rachel Berry was not a dishonest girl, and more than anything she prided herself on expressing her feelings with absolute candor. The fact of the matter was, though, telling Daniel about Finn would really do more harm than good. For starters, he hadn't even attempted to contact her since they'd last spoken, and she already knew of his rather _promiscuous _tendencies when she wasn't keeping an eye on him. Then there was the issue of having _"the conversation". _By now, she knew Daniel well enough to know that he despised talking about his feelings, and instead of pulling teeth to get him to open up, she'd simply resorted to shutting herself off from him. It was really much easier. And just the thought of telling Finn about Daniel –

The chime of her cell phone beeping brought Rachel from her haze of thoughts, and she flitted to the bed to read the message. A smile sprouted on her lips when she saw it was Finn, telling her they'd be out back in a few minutes, and the damn grin threatened to split her face in two when she read his ending line:

_Puck's being gross, but just ignore him. I really wanna see you, Rach (:_

_Rach. _He gave her a nickname. She squealed like a little girl, hopping about in place for a good minute, before chiding herself for acting like such a fool. It was just a nickname. Really, it was her name, minus a few letters. Nothing to get worked up over.

(Yeah, _right)._

Turning back to the mirror, Rachel smoothed her hands over her skirt once more. She twisted her fingers in her hair and lifted it off her shoulders, craning her neck from side to side. A few loose tendrils fell haphazardly from her hands, wavy locks floating down around her face, and she molded a wobbly smile onto her lips, hoping it stayed there before her nerves completely fell apart. She wasn't expecting much.

With a sigh she let her hair sift through her fingers, watching as it slowly fell back to frame her face, and winced slightly as her eyes trailed over the rest of her body. Uneasiness settled in her stomach but she tried desperately to smother it. She would not back out of this. Just because she wasn't big-chested or long-legged or stick thin didn't mean she wasn't attractive, and she found herself smiling in reassurance as she breathed out those words once again.

"You are a strong and confident woman. You are hot and you are sexy and Finn Hudson won't know what hit him! You are Rachel freaking Berry, damnit!" She grinned to herself, a giddy laugh bubbling over her lips at her choice of words, before she grabbed the towel from her chair and left the room.

There was no backing out now.

* * *

Why the hell didn't he back out of this when he had the chance?

Finn could practically feel the pool of anticipation in his stomach churn as he glanced impatiently at the double glass doors.

Where _was_ she?

He'd convinced himself that that text was a good idea. Katie had forcefully advised him that in order to "gain Rachel's affections," he had to be all mushy and crap like those sappy ass guys in chick movies. (Yeah, that was the Cliff notes version of it.) Not that he didn't enjoy doing nice (cheesy) things every once in a while; it was just… it was a hell of a lot easier to just be himself. Finn wasn't a _smooth_ guy, or a flirty guy, or really a sexy guy, for that matter. (The word itself had him chuckling in embarrassment.) He never felt all that comfortable in his own skin, or too content with his massive, ogre-sized frame. Whenever any of those short-skirted, tight-shirted Cheerios gave him their characteristic once-over, trailing their seductive eyes down his body inch for inch, he couldn't even be turned on. Instead of arousal standing him erect, it was self-consciousness ducking his head and turning his ears all different shades of red. Instead of his hormones, his insecurities were the ones raging, and soon enough, clammy hands and all, Finn Hudson served as his own personal cockblocker.

(Yeah, that totally makes him a pansy. He _knows._)

Why, then, could Rachel excite every nerve in his body with just a flick of her big brown eyes?

Finn had pondered this on multiple occasions. He thought about it as Rachel and Katie danced gracefully in his living room to some Barbra "classic," both smiling widely and at _him_, Rachel's cute little polka dot dressed swishing adorably around her. He thought about it as Rachel sat patiently on the bleachers one rainy afternoon, pellets striking her vibrant yellow umbrella, while its owner murmured insults about the ump under her breath. He thought about it later at Joey's, while Rachel challenged Katie to yet _another _game of pinball and he sat back, gazing longingly at the few curly tresses of brown hair teasing lightly at the nape of her neck. He thought about her penny loafers, her polka dots and her gold stars, her shy smile, her chiming laugh. He thought about Quinn, too – her high heels, her fake eyelashes and her skimpy tops, her bitter grin, her mocking sneers.

And he _got _it. For once in his miserable existence, Finn _got it_, with no help save his own (admittedly limited) knowledge of the female kind.

Rachel was sweet. She was honest, and kind, and, like Katie said, not at all mat- materi- materiali-… she didn't give a crap about looks and stuff. She understood just about everything he tried to say, and smiled at the stuff she didn't. She was _genuine_, he decided. She was _real. _

He never knew that fact could be such a turn-on.

A swift crack from Puck upside the head though brought Finn back to reality.

"Dude," Finn groaned, rubbing at his sure-to-be bruised ear.

"The fuck, Hudson? You think this mulch 's gonna spread itself? I got better shit to do than watch your dumb ass stare off into bumblefuck all goddamn day."

"Fuck off, Puckerman."

Grunting to himself, Finn grabbed a shovel and thought about accepting that maybe he should just give it up. Maybe this was all just some stupid dream of his that would never come true, just like all the rest. He was the guy in dirt-smeared jeans and thirty dollars in the bank account under his mom's name; how stupid could he be to think he had a chance with someone like Rachel Berry? He sighed again, digging up a hefty bulk of mulch and thinking he was going to be stuck doing these shit jobs for the rest of his life.

Sunshine started peeking through the clouds inch by inch, and Finn vaguely wondered if the Berry's would mind him taking a dip in their pool. It was fucking _hot. _He vocalized as much to Puck, which immediately led into a play by play of this one "hot ass" night with that "fuckin' tight piece" Santana Lopez…

_Wholesome, _Finn thought, as Puck droned on about tits and ass and all other sorts of derogatory words (that yeah, Finn used from time to time. So what?). _Rachel's wholesome. No need to worry about her doing anything like that._

"Whoa."

Finn figured Puck was just using sound effects now, so he wiped hastily at his forehead and reached for another scoop of mulch, ignoring him.

"Dude, fuck," Puck breathed out, a low whistle following soon after.

Annoyed, Finn dropped his shovel and looked up. "What?"

The view would have been comical if Finn wasn't already pissed off. (He got it – Santana was a hoe. Did he really have to make it so dramatic?) Puck's eyes looked about ten sizes too big, bugged out of his head like he'd just shit a brick, glossed over like he'd just discovered the Mario Bros. were actually cousins. Finn watched as Puck's Adam's apple bobbed painfully, an eyebrow raised despite himself.

"I…I think…" Puck swallowed again, blinking rapidly. "I think I'm seeing stars."

Finn cocked his head. "Huh?"

And then he followed the path Puck's finger and Puck Jr. were making straight ahead, and he wondered how in the hell karma could live without herself when she was such a bitch.

Strutting out those same glass doors Finn had been staring at for the past half hour was one _smoking _girl (you know, the ones Finn can't really keep his head straight around…) Rachel, with her hair tousled around her dolled up face, dark sunglasses covering her sweet brown eyes, came strolling out in nothing but a slight white bikini, tiny little gold stars strategically placed along the fabric. Two particular stars, Finn was sure, had immediately grabbed Puck's attention, as the guy was practically gaping at her boobs like they were edible. _Okay, bad thought. _

What was she _doing_? Was she really _trying _to kill this, kill any chance of _them_? 'Cause she was sure doing a great job of it.

He couldn't understand it. Admittedly, Finn didn't get a whole lot, but when the subject was the girl he'd spent the past two weeks memorizing longingly, he thought he was pretty well-versed. His boyish impulses came out, undeniably; noticing those obvious things that brought a whole other kind of heat to his face. How long did her legs go on for? Would she let him run his hands down and find out? Oh Chessus, how he _so _wanted that. The curve of her hips was driving him insane, and when she _slowly _slipped out of that skirt to reveal even more curves and more legs and…

_God, you the man._

But then he noticed something, something so Rachel-like that he suddenly felt like the biggest perv in the world (and he was standing next to Puck… think about it).

Her towel was covered in singing, dancing bunnies.

Rachel Berry was strutting her stuff in the tiniest freaking bathing suit he'd ever seen and she still managed to be the same girl he'd been falling for all week.

He couldn't look at her like that. It just felt… _wrong. _Like he was peeking in on some private thing that maybe, if he was lucky and Katie left them alone for five minutes, he might _possibly _get the chance to see. But only then, and maybe not even. There was no doubt that his hands trembled at the prospect of grazing those legs, but he wanted her brown eyes meeting his with that beautiful hidden smile, not hidden behind a pair of _stupid _sunglasses. Hardly containable was the urge to feel her tongue meet his for that first time, but he wanted to see her cheeks blush first with excitement or anticipation, not lust. Sure, those things had without a _doubt _rocked him to sleep most nights, but looking at her now, he realized this was a lot heavier than just some wet dream fantasy. Here was a girl standing before him in close to nothing, with a devilish grin on her lips and seduction oozing from every whip of her hair, and yet, somehow, he missed her pleated skirts and her shy smiles and her ability to make his brain turn to mush by just her fingers on his skin.

Was this finally it for him? Had he finally jumped over the ledge of sanity? Watching as Rachel bent over her chair, glancing his way with a grin, he resolved that yes, the day had finally come.

He couldn't look at her, he decided. If he did, those embarrassing outbreaks of stupidity were bound to flare up; he just couldn't risk it. And truthfully, he wasn't sure whether to be more angry or confused. Was Rachel doing this on purpose? There was _no _way he could be around her when she was acting all sexy and stuff; it was hard enough when she was just being normal and adorable. Finn really wasn't thrilled about the idea of avoiding her all day.

Puck's catcalling only furthered the problem. He whistled loudly, dropping his shovel with a thud and sauntering over just as Rachel was setting her towel down.

"Damn girl," Finn heard from his spot across the yard. He growled dangerously as he heaved another load in the barrow. "I'd let you sp-"

"Hello Noah," Rachel interrupted, not seeming at all interested in Puck's offer. Not that Finn was paying attention…'cause he wasn't.

"Hi Finn," Rachel called shyly, offering an enthusiastic wave his way.

Finn nodded his head toward her in response, but found that his eyes landed immediately on her flat stomach and any other movement or words became successfully impossible. _Self-conscious, insecure... _he ducked his head quickly after that.

Just 'cause he wasn't looking though didn't mean he couldn't _listen._

"So listen, baby…" Puck drawled. Finn could guess at his look: one eyebrow raised suggestively, chest puffed out confidently. Was it bad that he hoped Rachel decked him? "I was thinkin' we could go upstairs and you could show me how you _reall–_"

"Hey, Puckerman," Finn called, unable to stop himself. "You think this mulch 's gonna spread itself?"

What was it about that guy anyway? Couldn't he keep it in his pants for _five minutes?_

Puck rolled his eyes and turned back to Rachel. "Sorry, babe, Finn gets a little jealous when I'm gone." The prick bent his head back, calling, "Be right there, sweetheart!" before winking at Rachel and walking back over.

_Asswipe._

"Think you can stop being a jerk off for once?" Finn whispered harshly, glaring at Puck every time he turned to catch a glimpse of Rachel. Finn was trying really hard to do the exact opposite, but with Puck's eyes practically jumping through his skull, he knew the view was something to see.

Damn it, why couldn't he be like Puck? Any normal guy would see a girl like Rachel and _pounce, _in every sense of the word. Inappropriate jokes, whistling, bad pick up lines – shouldn't Finn be doing all that stuff? Why the hell couldn't he just be normal?

The more he thought about it, the more pissed off he got. And when Finn was pissed – well, he started to hit things. Puck's face was looking like a good place to start.

Puck snorted. "Kiss my ass, Frankenteen. You can't tell me you don't want a piece of that."

_No, I just dream about it every fucking night. _Honest and Confident Finn would have said those exact words, walked right over to Rachel, and made Puck regret he'd ever said a thing about her. Except that, Finn was neither of those things. Damn though, did he was he was…

Instead, Finn threw a "fuck you" Puck's way, stared down at his dirt-worn Sketchers, and did the only thing he knew how.

He ignored them both.

Ignoring Puck was easy – they'd been friends for so long, it was like there was a switch Finn could push the second Puck started talking. And really, the guy wasn't too profound. Give him a nice rack to look at and Finn might not hear from him again.

Ignoring Rachel, however – well that was a task Finn wasn't confident he could manage.

Believe him, he tried. He really did. If he felt himself about to stare at those smooth legs or that silky hair, he would just drop the shovel on his foot or bang his hand against the deck or spill his water all over his head. Distractions, he figured, were key.

It wasn't working.

He was just so confused. What was she _doing? _Was she even doing anything at all, or was Finn just hyperaware of how smooth and fuckable her legs looked today? Maybe he was getting heat stroke. That seemed like a genuine possibility. He _was_ feeling really clammy and dizzy all of a sudden.

And ignoring Rachel turned out to be a total fail when she kept coming around him. Like when he went to go get a drink and she showed up right behind him.

"Hi Finn," she smiled, biting torturously at her bottom lip.

Finn took a gulp of water and nodded back. His head felt fuzzy.

Rachel took a step closer, sliding her hand along the railing dangerously slow. When her smell started wafting its way toward him, Finn took a mini step back. "I like your hair today."

Finn's eyebrow quirked. He'd sorta just woken up this morning and left. "Uh, really? It's all messy and gross and stuff…"

"Oh," Rachel mumbled, glancing up at him with mock innocence. Unease fluttered through his stomach; that look was _anything _but chaste. "I think it looks… cute."

When she ran her fingers through her own hair with a look that really reminded him of Quinn, he started to choke. _Really, _his big chug of water went down the wrong pipe, and he nearly spat it out all over Rachel. If this girl killed him his mom was gonna be _so _pissed.

As expected, Insecure Finn came sprouting out, and if he had to guess, Finn would say his ears were a faint shade of magenta right about now. From behind Rachel's head, he could see Puck making inappropriate gestures at her ass, and Finn just knew he was way over his head.

"Uh, thanks," Finn mumbled awkwardly, and then he couldn't get away fast enough.

So you see, ignoring Rachel? Not an easy task.

Especially when she up-ed the stakes.

Finn was just coming back from grabbing more mulch from the truck when she cut off his path. She'd placed her sunglasses atop her head this time, so now she was using the full force of her eyes against him too. Big, seductive lashes batted at him, and he almost forgot why he'd ever stay away from someone as beautiful as her.

That is, 'til she waved the tanning oil in his face.

"Finn?" she asked, her voice low. _Mailman. _"Do you, do you think you can help me put this on? I'm having some trouble…"

He looked at her like she admitted to hating Star Wars. _Craziness. _"You, uh, well…"

_That was good. Use your words, Hudson._

"There's all like, grease and crap on my hands." He waved them in front of her as proof. "And you're already, like, really tan. Maybe you should just, uh, go inside!"

"No way, baby!" It was the one time Finn was actually _relieved _that Puck barged in. His disgusting friend sauntered over, leaving Finn just enough time to sneak slowly away. "Where do you want it, Berry? How 'bout you bend over and–"

Rachel groaned. "Can it, Puckerman. I'll do it myself."

Puck frowned dejectedly. "You'll wish you had me when I'm gone."

When Rachel rolled her eyes at him, annoyed, Finn tried really hard not to smile. The gesture was so like Normal Rachel that he almost kissed her right then and there.

What was he just doing again?

* * *

What was she _doing?_

Truthfully, Rachel marveled at the fact that she'd lasted this long. If she would have guessed, she'd have been running inside the moment Puck mentioned something about spanking.

The way Finn looked at her from time to time though – like just now, gazing at her with the slightest quirk to his pink lips – well, it gave her courage. She wanted… no, she neededhim to see that she could be _desirable, _sexy.

So, she'd try again.

"Hmm," she breathed, fluttering her eyelids flirtatiously. Or, at least she hoped. Was it only in the movies that guys noticed stuff like that? Taking a hesitant step forward, she tried to make her voice low and sultry, smothering that anxious hitch in her throat. "You smell _so _good." For emphatic purposes, Rachel thrust her face up and breathed in visibly. Knowing her chest puffed up and out at Finn as she did was simply an added bonus.

She grinned slightly at him as he sucked in sharply. "Hmm, what _is _that?"

Finn cocked an eyebrow, swallowing uncertainly. "Uh, sweat?"

"Right," Rachel said quickly. A nervous laugh spewed from her lips and she could feel her body turn warm with embarrassment. "Musky," she added as an afterthought.

Appearing wholly confused, Finn just nodded along. _Probably wondering why I keep talking, _Rachel groaned inwardly.

"You–"

"I–"

Laughing nervously together, Rachel motioned for Finn to start, making sure to add an extra flash of her teeth as she grinned.

Finn cleared his throat, scratched at his head, and jerked his thumb back toward Puck. "I better get back."

Clearly, they weren't on the same page.

Rachel watched dismally as Finn walked away, wondering if maybe she should just give it up already. Not two hours ago, she had convinced herself that pretending to be sexy was a _wonderful _idea. Didn't it always work for other girls? Wasn't that what it was all about – being seductive and teasing and _unattainable_? Maybe she just couldn't _do _hot. Maybe all Rachel Berry was was argyle and puppies and all those other incredibly non-sexy things that defined her.

Why did movies have to lie like that then? It was becoming impossible for her to separate real life from fantasy when she was so sure the fantasy was possible. The only evidence of love she _really _had was from fantasy anyway. Did that mean the whole thing was just an illusion?

No, she argued. She wouldn't let a little bump in the road stop her from seeking her perfect dream with Finn. That may be hasty, and definitely a little intense, but Rachel Berry couldn't possibly be anything else.

Smothering that wave of rejection that had been slowly washing over her all day, Rachel placed her glasses back over her eyes, smiling inwardly for herself, and returned to her lawn chair. Finn and Puck had moved a little further away in their work, but she was sure she could grab their attention somehow.

Of course. This _always _worked. Grinning to herself in triumph, Rachel reached over and grabbed at the bottle of tanning oil. She snuck a glance backwards toward the boys, and resisted the urge to groan when only Puck was wiggling his eyebrows at her. _Great. _Maybe he would direct Finn in the right direction though. With the determination she so often used as motivation, Rachel perched her leg gracefully atop the chair and ran the oil bit by bit up her leg. So what if she already had some on? She'd go until Finn's eyes rested right where they should.

She might have to use the whole stupid bottle.

Puck had whistled a few times – once he even purred a line of "Sexy Back" – but Finn had yet to utter a sound. Turning leisurely, Rachel ran her hands up her other leg, feeling a thick, glossy coat of oil all over her skin. She frowned slightly, pessimism coming fast through her veins, but then, she met _two _pairs of gaping eyes, and a small ounce of victory flushed her cheeks as she smiled.

It didn't last.

Apparently the fates were just out to get her today. That was the only explanation Rachel could make, excluding the one that said she was ugly and fat and void of any human attraction. (That one she chose to ignore.)

Everything was screaming at her to just stop. She went to sit on her chair again, and her oil-covered legs kept making her slid off. Embarrassed, she attempted to hold herself on with just her arms, but soon they got wobbly and she couldn't stay still. As if humiliation decided to torment her further, a quiet buzzing noise sounded in her ears, quickly growing in cadence until it swarmed around her head. Once it stopped, and she opened her eyes to see a massive bumblebee settled right atop her sunglasses.

And she _lost _it.

She couldn't sit still, she kept sliding off that damn chair, a bee was about to make her its supper and she was so far from sexy that Aunt Ruth would get there before her. Finally, unable to hold it back for even a second longer, Rachel screamed, using all of her lung power to release the built up frustration.

A little mocking part of her laughed humorlessly when _that, _something so un-sexy as a bloodcurdling scream, managed to turn Finn's head her way.

Grabbing hastily at her towel, Rachel ignored Puck's retreating comment, per usual, and stalked toward the house, trying desperately to ignore the buzzing following her on her way.

* * *

"…and her first show's gonna be _Les Mis, _and then she's gonna win'a Tony for her pr'formance in _Evita_, and…"

It was a long morning for Finn, and the end seemed nowhere in sight.

He liked Rachel. Like he really, _really _liked her… like, a lot. But hearing Katie talk about how many Bobby's she'd win and which guys she was gonna mack it with onstage when she got all famous didn't really interest him all that much. In fact, it sort of just made him sick.

"Kat?" She didn't look thrilled that Finn had interrupted her, giving him a pointed look. "Can we maybe, talk about something else?" _Or not at all…_

Katie jumped up from his desk chair and placed her hands on her hips. She was ever the drama queen. "Why?" she demanded, glaring. "You don't like Rachel?"

Errantly Finn wondered how deep he could bury his head in his pillow. "It's not that," he groaned, closing his eyes tiredly. "It's just that –"

"So ya _do _like her!"

Finn's eyes shot open. "I never said that…"

Katie frowned. "So you don't?"

"Not exa–"

"Then ya do!" At this point, Katie's exasperated little jumps were making Finn's bed quiver like an earthquake, and he really didn't have the energy to argue with her anymore.

He sighed. "Yeah, Kate, I like her." Honestly, he really should have anticipated more jumping after that, but he was tired. The poor guy just wanted some sleep.

Squealing happily, Katie jumped a final time and landed with a firm thud on her knees. Sandy blonde hair fell out the side of her ponytail and she messily pushed it aside. "Mmm'k, so this is what we gotta do."

Finn snorted, heaving himself up onto his elbows. "We?"

"Well you didn't think you were gonna do this all by yourself, did'ja?"

_Honestly? _"Well yeah, kind of."

Judging by Katie's eye roll, Finn should have known. _Duh. _"Finny," Katie started, her voice sugar sweet. He already knew it was trouble. "You're, like, the best guy in the whole wide _town _to me!" Finn smiled. "But you're kinda dumb sometimes."

He frowned.

"Don't get me wrong, a'course," she placated, hopping off the bed and pacing the carpet. "You try and all, but I think ya need the help of'a expert."

He raised an eyebrow, and Katie smiled.

"Me."

Had anyone else told him he was an idiot, Finn probably would've socked them, but really, Katie never meant half of what she said. He knew he should definitely stop her before things really went haywire, but hell, he just didn't have it in him. For some godforsaken reason, the kid found pleasure in running Finn's boring, loser life, and he's not so thick to deny that she's actually helped him on more than one occasion.

Like that time her piano teacher asked him "to attend the theatre" with him one Saturday night, and he almost said yes. (Really, how was he supposed to know Kurt Hummel was asking him out? He didn't even know the guy was gay. Maybe he just had a really firm grasp on skin care. Katie explained to him that no straight man wore heels, and that maybe Finn should wait in the car next time he picks her up from her lesson.)

There were other things too, like teaching him about time management or reminding him about curfew or warning him about having a booger on his face. She was always keeping him in line, but he figured his debt was paid when he taught her how to juggle or reached something she needed on the top shelf or let her eat a whole bag of beef jerky right before dinner. They were kind of like two halves to a whole, or one of those other cheesy metaphors Katie always used.

Finn sighed. He guessed it wouldn't be _so _bad if Katie took the reins on this one. After all, she'd never steered him wrong before, and she _was _the reason he and Rachel had been spending so much time together this past (amazing) week. Maybe Katie could explain to him what had happened this morning to make Rachel so… un-Rachel-like, and maybe she could help him fix it. Maybe, with her help, the dreams Finn had been imagining every night (and waking up hard as a rock to every morning) could actually become a reality.

A guy could hope, right?

Katie was batting her big brown lashes at him innocently and Finn thought he might as well just tuck his balls between his legs and roll over. He was such a pushover.

"Alright Kat," Finn said, tossing his legs over the side of the bed to face her. "What're we gonna do?"

She was already down to business, feet scuffing along his mangy green carpet in quick little strides.

"How d'you feel 'bout wearing tights, Finn?"

-_FFFFFFFFFFFFF-_

He was hopeless.

"Will ya just _do _it already?"

Chewing neurotically at his now nonexistent thumbnail, Finn must have dialed and redialed Rachel's number a dozen times before reminding himself that he suffered from severe cases of word vomit and promptly hanging up. He knew Rachel was smart – and pretty and talented and a whole lot of other things that Finn sure wasn't – and he wasn't stupid enough to believe she'd actually say yes if he ever worked up the courage and clumsily asked her out. It was probably better to just let things keep going like they had been – fun and easy and without all this freaking pressure breathing down his neck.

Sweating this much could _not _be normal.

"Kat," Finn croaked out. His throat felt like he swallowed gasoline. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"Finny, we've been at this for_ever_!" she groaned, chucking another dart toward the board. "Hurry up!"

"Well what if she says no?" Finn challenged, buying himself some time. Plus, not being able to answer that question was the main reason pressing the "call" button seemed so impossible. Rejection wasn't a feeling Finn particularly enjoyed, and it sort of felt inevitable.

"She's not gonna say no!" He could tell Katie was about five seconds away from whining. "How d'you know she won't say yes?"

"How do _you_ know she won't say no?"

Katie huffed dramatically. "Because the probability of my premise –"

"Stop it!" Finn closed his eyes tightly and shook his head to clear it. "You're doing that thing where you use all these big words to try and confuse me."

The corner of Katie's lip twitched upward but she surrendered with a huff. "Fine, but you still gotta do it. How d'you know she's gonna say no if you didn't even ask'er yet?"

Yeah, he probably should have known that one was coming, but damn it, this is what he means – the twerp is always one step ahead of him. Defiance simmered in her eyes and Finn knew Katie wasn't giving this up without a fight. In hindsight, he would thank her for that.

"So there," Katie said, her tone one of authority. "You don't got any reason not to now. Start dialin'."

A single bead of sweat slid slowly along Finn's back. "Wait," he spoke hastily.

_Cheesus, help a guy out, huh? _

"What if she's not there?"

"We'll try again later."

"What if she's sick?"

"We just saw'er two hours ago."

"I hear that Swine Flu is spreading like a mother–"

"Finn."

He groaned, his head falling back against his comforter with a thud. It wasn't that he didn't want to, really. He wanted to go on a date with Rachel Berry more than he wanted the Reds to win a Series; it was just that he knew the odds of either one of those things happening were slim to none. He was a jock from Lima, Ohio; he wasn't meant for the big leagues.

"Kat," Finn sighed, feeling desperation set in. He closed his eyes, embarrassed before the words even left his lips. "What if I'm not good enough for her?"

He could hear the whoosh of her arm soaring through the air as she flung the last dart, and he heard it hit with a _bang _as it struck the board. Focusing on those sounds kept his pride intact, at least momentarily.

He expected the bed to sag, for her to tell him how great he was and to not believe it, for their whole argument to start right up again. Those things were usually unavoidable. He sure wasn't expecting what she said next.

"Alright. Listen buddy, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once."

Shocked, Finn shot both eyes open and gaped at the little seven-year old who sure reminded him a lot of Puck right about now. Hands on her hips, Katie glared hard, demanding his attention.

"You _are _good enough, but Rachel's not gonna be waiting around 'til you decide to get your thumb outta your butt and figure that out."

"Katie!"

She ignored him. "Now are you gonna call'er and do it yourself, or do I gotta hold your hand and do it for ya?"

Finn gulped. The way she was leering at him said she wasn't fooling around, and it sort of scared him. (_Yeah, _a little girl freaked him out. If you saw the crazy eyes she was givin' him you'd be freaked out too).

Finn answered by slowly pressing a button, and when the dial tone sounded Katie smiled wide in triumph. With a deep breath, he entered the first number, then the next, then –

"But what if I can't understand a word she says? Or, like, I say something really stupid and she laughs at me?"

He could see Katie visibly trying to keep herself from killing him. "Finn," she breathed out slowly, working to keep calm. "Those things are gonna happen no matter what, so it's prob'ly best to get 'em over with _before _you actually go _on _the date!"

Finn nodded firmly. Right. She was right. Well, she always was. A shaky finger pushed the next key, but his clumsy bear claw screwed up the next number and he quickly hung up.

Fail.

"That's it!" Katie shouted, shocking Finn again. You couldn't blame him for being a little extra jumpy. He watched, confused, as Katie's long blonde ponytail swished behind her as she stormed out of the room, tugging on her baseball cap as she went.

"Where're you going?" Finn yelled after her.

The front door opened and closed with a bang and Finn followed after her, catching her by the arm before she made it any farther.

"You're going to see Rachel, Finn." The way she said it made him think there wasn't much room for compromise. "You're gonna ask her out, and I'm gonna go with you."

"You're what?"

Katie huffed. The narrow slits of her eyes set determinedly. "I'll tell you everything ya need t'do, Finn. Just drive."

It felt like there might be a bug or something lodged in his airway. Finn swallowed hard. "You sure about this, Katie? I can just–"

"Finn," she warned dangerously, and the conversation was over. He knew it.

"Get in the car."

_Yes, ma'am. _

_

* * *

_

**_ I planned to have another scene here that I loved, but hey... that's just more for the next chapter! Review!_**


	9. Breaking the Rules Preview

"**This was love at first sight, love everlasting: a feeling unknown, unhoped for, unexpected-in so far as it could be a matter of conscious awareness; it took entire possession of him, and he understood, with joyous amazement, that this was for life. " – Thomas Mann **

"**I'm falling fast, but the truth is: I'm not scared at all." – Lady Antebellum, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" **

"Stop fussin' with it."

"But… should it be this _hard_?"

"She'll love it. Just stop touchin' it."

"But it's like… sticky. And it smells weird."

"I'm gonna chop it off if ya don't stop playin' with it, an' it _won't_ be pretty!"

Finn grimaced.

The idea of an angry Katie coming near him with a pair of scissors honestly frightened him, and no, that did not make him a girl.

He sighed, his hand going to his gel-coated hair once more, but at Katie's pointed glare, he quickly retracted it. He made a mental note to hide his gel bottle whenever the little beast was around.

Katie stepped back, giving Finn a meticulous once-over and ordering him to stay perfectly still. Quickly, she hopped up on his bed, spat in her hand, and smoothed the front of his hair to the side, acting as if she were oblivious to Finn's narrowed eyes. Once more, she jumped down and observed her work. Discouraged by her uncharacteristic silence, Finn inwardly groaned, wondering what the next means of torture would be that Katie would inflict on him. There were only so many shades of blue he could try on. He was pondering how he could lock Katie in a closet when she offered a mischievous, gap-toothed grin and announced,

"Finny, she's not gonna know what hit 'er."

Relieved, Finn managed a smile, but it was only temporary. The truth was, his date with Rachel was only an hour away, and he honestly could _feel _his stomach twisting into millions of little knots. His mind wouldn't shut up. He just kept replaying over and over in his head anything and everything that could – and, let's face it, mostly likely _would _– go wrong. If what happened when he asked her out was any indication, this date would probably result in Finn's move to Canada. At this point, it doesn't sound so bad.

After Katie had ordered Finn to "drive – no questions," she began to rattle off instructions on what Finn was going to say to Rachel to get her to go out with him. He almost turned the car around about ten times, but Katie was fierce. By the time they reached the Berry estate, Finn's head was swimming and he honestly didn't think he could conjure up a "hello," let alone ask her on a date – that is, until Katie kicked him out of the car – literally.

_-RRRRRRRR—_

_Rachel stood in the shower until the water ran cold, hoping to wash herself of not only the greasy oil but also the humiliation that threatened to swallow her whole. She'd never felt more pathetic. She wasn't __that__ girl – the one who fell all over a guy, who degraded herself for attention, who made herself vulnerable just to get shot right down. Now, though, she was beginning to question her self-respect. For Rachel Berry, relinquishing the upper hand was both frightening and unheard of; she was _always _in control. Leave it to some cow town to turn her into a desperate, hopeless, love-struck idiot. _

_After changing into her favorite Ducky pajamas and a baggy orange T-shirt with a singing Panda bear on the front, Rachel crawled under the heavy covers of her bed, ignoring the clock that mocked with reading "7:07," and immediately dialed her Daddy's number. She knew he'd be able to cheer her up. But when he answered, she found herself unable to stop mentioning Finn, and soon she was relaying the whole damn story and tears welled up in her brown eyes and – maybe she really was hopeless. Not even Daddy's comforting words offered her any solace. Her only hope now was that he would let her come home early; he was always a softie, especially when his little girl was hurting. _

_Working the "I'm heartbroken – let me come home" angle, Rachel just thought she was breaking her Daddy when she heard the doorbell ring, and moments later, Aunt Ruth actually jogging up the steps. The town must be on fire if Aunt Ruth was practically running. A hurried knock at Rachel's door signaled that perhaps the world was in fact about to end._

"_Daddy, I have to call you back. I love you too." Tossing her phone on her bed and hauling herself out of the warmth of the covers, Rachel opened the door to a very excited and slightly panting Aunt Ruth. _

"_You have a visitor," Aunt Ruth burst. "And he's cute." She winked and laughed giddily, before literally skipping back down the stairs. _

_Panic was the first emotion to register, quickly followed by curiosity and a little bit of excitement, though Rachel was quick to smother it. It was probably Noah, equipped with some new pick up lines that he can use tonight at the bar for "Thirsty Thursday." He often tried them out on her first, or maybe he just really thought he stood a chance. Or maybe it's Daniel, coming to rescue her from this horrid place and hoist her back to New York where she belongs. She found herself crossing her fingers, hoping against hope that it was the latter._

_She took the last few stairs in stride, desperate to find Daniel waiting for her. Opening the door with an eager jerk, she heard herself gasp slightly and manage a strangled, "Oh!"_

_It was Finn._

_Strange how she could still manage a smile when he offered her a lop-sided one as well._

"_H-Hey, Rach. How are you?" Did he just stutter?_

_Rachel's smile stayed in place. "I'm good, Finn, thank you for asking. And how are you?"_

"_Good, I'm good. I'm great. Er, uh, you know, like Tony would say, 'I'm greeeat!'"_

_Rachel stared.  
_

"_Tony… you know... the Tiger?" Finn cleared his throat self-consciously. _

_Rachel could only answer in confused silence. _

_Finn's cheeks were growing redder by the second and he scrubbed his hand through his hair in aggravation. He muttered something under his breath and turned toward his car briefly, and Rachel wondered if maybe he was running from the law or something. What could possibly make him so nervous? It was making _her _nervous._

_Was he here just to torment her further? She was fairly positive she did enough of that herself. Honestly, she would bet money that Noah put him up to it, some sort of stupid boy revenge prank because Rachel refused to be a pawn in his dirty games. She just knew it. On the defensive, Rachel stood stiff, arms crossed tightly over Mr. Panda. When she realized just what her shirt featured, though, she lost a bit of steam and squeezed her arms tighter, self-consciousness winning out. _

_And it only maddened her further that Finn just stood there like a… well, like an oaf!_

"_Was there something you wanted to discuss, Finn?" Rachel hoped he could detect some of the impatience in her tone._

_Finn shifted on his feet. "Yeah, um… Yes, there was. Uh…"_

_And then he stopped again. Rachel's fists actually tightened and for a moment, she was sure she would hit him, when she noticed his gaze focused tentatively on something behind her. She followed his line of sight, and… Oh sweet Jesus... there was Aunt Ruth peeking from behind the kitchen door, a mixture of impatience and excitement in her large, creepy grin._

_Thank god she had two fists, because Rachel wasn't sure whom she wanted to hit first. Aunt Ruth looked like she was about to bust a gut she was so anxious, and it wasn't helping Rachel's nerves one bit. Taking a step outside, Rachel offered Aunt Ruth a tight smile and shut the door behind her, blocking out the nuisance. No doubt she would see the curtains being pushed aside any second now. _

_Rachel turned back to Finn, struggling to keep patient. "You were saying?"_

_Finn cleared his throat and tried a smile that fell off his lips. "Right. Well…" _

_If this boy didn't finish a sentence… Was it really so hard? Did he _know _it was one of her biggest pet peeves, or was he just good at pissing her off? Seriously –_

_She almost missed it. _

_If he wasn't staring at her, rocking on the balls of his feet and waiting for an answer, and if she wasn't a skilled multi-tasker who could rant and listen at the same time, she might have. _

_Still, she wanted him to repeat it, because she was sure he was lying. "What?"_

_His voice this time was barely audible. "…I like your shirt."_

_So he _was _here to make fun of her. Eyes narrowed, Rachel placed her hands on her hips and proudly exposed Mr. Panda. "I will have you know, Finn Hudson, that this shirt is not merely an article of clothing. It was a very precious and wonderful gift from my Daddy and it just so happens to be one of my favorite things besides Barbra Bunny and my vast collection of argyle knee-highs. So I would appreciate it, _sir, _if you would keep your scathing remarks to yourself!"_

_She might as well have flashed him by the expression on his face: mouth gaping, eyes wide and a bit glazed, brow crinkled cutely. Rachel waited for his apology, feeling a little sorry for her outburst. That always happened; she should really think more before she acted. Maybe he really didn't mean any harm. Finn was no Noah, after all. _

_Instead of an audible response, Finn turned nervously toward his car and grabbed at his neck anxiously with his hand. Curious, Rachel looked too, and noticed the window cracked about halfway, followed by – _

"_Rude, it means rude, Finn" _

– _in a whisper-yell coming from the opening. Was that… Katie?_

"_Finn?" Rachel asked. She hoped her question was clear, but if it was, Finn ignored it._

_He shook his head as if to clear it. "N-no, Rach. I mean, I really like it. Really. It, um… It's like you, ya know? All cute and dancing and cuddly and stuff. I-it fits you."_

_As if she _wouldn't _smile. _

_"Y-you think I'm cute and… cuddly?" she asked in a small, hopeful voice. _

_Finn smiled shakily back. "Well… yeah. You're awesome. Right?"_

_This had to be the weirdest conversation the pair had ever had, but Rachel couldn't deny that somehow, this boy knew all the things to say to make her feel like flying. Her smile only grew, as it always seemed to do around Finn, and she felt the blush dance around her cheeks. _

"_Well, I'm glad you think so Finn. No one has… Thank you."_

_With a contented grin, Finn opened his mouth to speak. But once again, the car spoke. _

"_Get ta the point, you doofus!"_

_Rachel's eyes darted to the car, only to see two blonde pigtails retreat quickly inside. _

_She frowned. "Finn, is that… Katie?"_

_A nervous chuckle escaped his lips. "W-what?" he breathed nervously. "Of course not. Why would I bring that dweeb with me when-"_

_This time it was much louder. "Like you'd even be here if it weren't for me! Least I know how'ta talk ta girls, you booger."_

"_Stop helping!" Finn whisper-yelled back. With a sheepish smile he turned back to a grinning Rachel. "So… yeah, I brought Katie."_

"_Hi Rachel!" Katie yelled from the car, this time offering a wave and unabashedly leaning her head out the window. _

_Finn took a step forward and dropped his voice to a whisper. She felt entirely foolish that the close proximity made her heart beat a little faster. "She begged, ya know? Did the pout thing. I felt bad."_

_Rachel waved happily to Katie and smiled amusedly, turning back to Finn. "Right… So, not that I don't appreciate the drop in, but… what did you want to talk about, Finn?"_

_Finn let out an awkward chuckle. "Sorry, you've probably got like a million things to do and I'm just standing here rambling on and on like some… I'll let you get back to it, we can talk later!"_

_Finn turned to leave and Rachel might've let him (what was this boy's angle?), had Katie not shouted quickly out the window:_

"_He wants ta ask you out!"_

"_Katie!" Finn cracked out._

"_Well you were takin' too long and I've got stuff ta do!" she fired back, sticking her small arm out the window and tapping her wrist for good measure. "Now let's GO!"_

_Finn ran a frustrated hand through his hair, muttering what she could only assume were evil thoughts under his breath as he slowly turned back to face Rachel. The look on her face could only be described as stunned, and she laughed inwardly when she realized her face mirrored Finn's when she'd scolded him only moments ago. Oh, the irony._

_Finn's expression was grave, and it would have been humorous had Rachel remembered how to laugh. She took a moment to regroup herself, willing her jaw to hinge itself back into place, when her eyes spotted his tongue darting out to swipe across his lips nervously. _

_She smiled. Somehow. This boy made her crazy, but the best – and, admittedly, the most egocentric – part of it was, she made him _nervous.

_Rachel spoke up. "Finn?" _

_She suppressed a laugh. People call _her _dramatic. Finn squeezed his eyes shut, his expression pained, and threw his hands up in defeat. "Are you… free? Tomorrow night?"_

_Rachel grinned, crossing one ankle over the other. "I am."_

_Finn peeked one eye open. "You are?"_

_She nodded. "I am."_

"_So that's a yes then?" Finn grinned, dropping his hands. _

_Oh, she wouldn't make it that easy. She played up her most innocent face. "A yes to what, Finn?"_

_His brow furrowed. "T-tomorrow night," he repeated._

_She cocked her head. "What's tomorrow night?"_

_She hoped he wouldn't hurt himself from all this confusion she seemed to be causing him. "Wha- you said-"_

"_You gotta ASK her, dummy! Gosh, do I gotta do everything!" _

_Well, no one ever called Katie subtle…_

_Pinching the bridge of his nose briefly, Finn exhaled loudly and licked his lips again. Rachel felt a little bad for pushing him; clearly he was… struggling. For whatever reason, she hadn't the faintest idea._

_She was about to tell him she would just see him tomorrow when he looked her straight in the eye and smiled faintly. _

_"I, uh, I'm _really _bad at this, Rach. I really – I don't, do this – " He gestured between himself and Rachel. " – a lot and I'm kind of – well, I'm sweatin' like crazy right now trying to do this right and – well, obviously – I'm doin' a pretty bad job of it."_

_Rachel tried to interject but Finn calmly put his hand up to stop her._

"_But… if you're not totally weirded out or anything and you don't have any plans – I totally understand if you do! I mean, this is really last minute and you might not even wan –" Finn took a deep breath and cursed under his breath. She couldn't help but smile. "Anyway, I'd, um… I'd really like to take you out tomorrow, Rach, if that, er, if you want."_

_Well, that was close enough. "What time?"_

_Finn jerked his head up from the rock he was rolling around with his foot and raised his eyebrows. "Is that a yes?"_

_Rachel tried to contain her smile, but she met his eyes boldly. "What time, Finn?"_

_Of course that crooked smile of his would make an appearance. Damn him. "Uh… how about… is, like, s-six okay? O-or later is good, whenever –"_

_Rachel grinned and gave a quick nod. "Be here at six, Finn. I'll see you then." _

_The smile threatened to envelope his face, and Finn nodded vigorously. "Okay – yes. I'll – " He started to backpedal away, catching the end of a flower pot and nearly knocking it over before he caught and steadied it. Rachel could practically see Katie face-palming. "I'll be here!" Finn finished, turning and waving to Rachel over his shoulder as he headed toward his car._

"_Well that was smooth, Finn," Katie announced out the window, her sarcastic evident. "You didn't say ANYTHING I tol'ja to! And didja have to tell her how much you sweat? That was gross."_

_Finn tried to keep his voice hushed. "Shut it, twerp. She said yes."_

"_Yeah, 'cause she felt bad for you! Yer lucky she's nice 'cause there's no way in HECK I woulda said yes…"_

"_Well good thing I wasn't asking you out then – wait, ew, that's weird Katie… stop messing me up!"_

"_You're doin' enough 'a that on yer own, loser," Katie announced as Finn shut his car door and turned on the engine. Katie leaned out the window quickly._

"_Sorry he's sucha dummy, Rachel! I promise he won't be so stupid on yer date!" Katie chuckled happily to herself and Finn quickly jerked the car in reverse. _

"_There's not gonna BE a date if you keep talking, brat," Finn whisper-yelled at his cousin. _

_Katie huffed. "It won't be MY fault, ya big butt." As the car rolled back, Katie leaned once more out the window and offered a huge wave and a smile. "Bye Rachel! I can't wait fer our date!"_

_Rachel hadn't stopped laughing since Finn walked away, and she waved back giddily at the retreating car. She could hear Finn's outbursts of "OUR date?" and Katie's retorts - "Well after that pe'formance -" fired right back. She was certain they were screaming as the car rolled down the street._

_Once she composed herself enough to consider the situation, Rachel found herself taking deep, calming breaths before she quickly ran back inside up the stairs. _

_What was she going to WEAR?_


End file.
